According to the annual survey carried out by Skytrax (British civil aviation research company), the international airport of Hong Kong is the best in the world for fast check-in and baggage claim operations, quantity and efficiency of services, shops and restaurants, factors which meet the passengers approval. Hong Kong's airport was second in last year's survey.
The podium is all Asian: equal second Seoul-Incheon and Singapore-Changi, followed by the best European air station, Munich, which was third in 2006. In the top ten also Kuala Lumpur, Zurich, Amsterdam-Schiphol, Vancouver (the only one in North America), Kansai (Osaka) and Madrid-Barajas, which was 22nd one year ago.
Best carrier Singapore Airlines, followed by Thai Airways and Cathay Pacific (Asian supremacy again). The first European air company, British Airways, first last year, is now tenth.
So it makes me think that if someone get used to the services and facilities of Chek Lap Kok, it's more likely s/he will criticize other airports for efficiency and choice of dining venues.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Ocean Park's 30 years treat
When it comes to cable car rides, Hong Kong has become a notorious place to be.Nearly 300 people were stranded in midair a few days ago when a cable car at Ocean Park broke down for about eight minutes due to a faulty belt. This comes after a cable car from Ngong Ping 360's riding facilities snapped.
This is the first time such incident happened in its 30-year history so it was a pretty impressive run until this unfortunate thing happened.
The scene is reminiscent of an incident at Ngong Ping 360 on Lantau Island in June last year, when about 500 people were trapped in gondolas for two hours due to a technical glitch.
According to an Ocean Park spokeswoman, a fractured belt at the southern peak of the park caused the breakdown at 1.43pm, and the safety mechanism system was automatically activated, halting 252 cable cars.
Checks on cable cars are conducted every morning.
During the breakdown, the park made announcements in seven languages to inform passengers of the situation. English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, German, French, Spanish? I am not sure.
Nursing staff and security guards stood by, but none of the passengers was injured or reported feeling unwell.
Some of the stranded mainland tourists called for more frequent inspections of cable cars to ensure safety, but said the incident had not dampened their confidence in the park's operations.
Lo Kok-keung, an engineer with Hong Kong Polytechnic University's mechanical engineering department, said the faulty belt was probably caused by displacement or aging of some components.
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said the park informed it of the breakdown immediately and officers were sent to the scene to carry out inspections.
An investigation will be launched with the assistance of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
The department has asked the park to submit a report on the incident, and the park said it would be handed in today.
On June 11 this year, an empty cabin plunged 50 meters to the ground during a test run after operating hours at Ngong Ping 360 - supposedly Hong Kong's latest tourist attraction.
No one was injured in that incident.
Initial investigations found about 10 gear wheels had been seriously damaged on Tower 2B which had been replaced recently.
The incident led to an immediate shutdown of the cable-car system, with no reopening date set. I doubt if there is an opening day ever. I hope they'll prove me wrong so I can ride that one too.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tsunami scare
Hong Kong and Macao, both sprawling economic centers perched on the South China Sea stand a 10 percent chance of being hit by a serious tsunami in the next century, geophysicists have said.The warning follows a new assessment of how earthquakes along the nearby Manila trench could radiate tsunami waves across the South China Sea.
When the December 2004 tsunami took place, I imagined that if it were within South China Sea instead of Indian Ocean, Hong Kong stands a big risk of being hit by a tsunami.
The area that would be affected the most are Sai Kung and Lantau instead of the Southside, Pokfulam and Ap Lei Chau, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. I lived in South Horizons at the time. And of all the places, I lived in Block 13A which I believed lie closest to the sea.
Although Chinese records of tsunamis date back to AD 171, the hazard was largely ignored until the cataclysmic December 26, 2004 tsunami off the coast of Sumatra.
However, the structure of the complex plate boundary on the eastern side of the South China Sea, running from Taiwan to the Manila trench, makes shallow subduction-related quakes particularly likely.
This problem was highlighted by the quake in December 2006 that disrupted Internet traffic in the region when it ripped through sub sea data cables.
Geologists now believe such earthquakes could also trigger tsunamis.
To assess the threat, Yingchun Liu of the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing developed a computer model with David Yuen's group at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
They identified the sites where major quakes were most likely, then modelled how the tsunamis they produced would spread and their heights as they reached major cities.
Finally, they factored in the tsunami risks of all possible large quakes for each location.
Findings revealed that all coastal regions, stretching north from Macao and Hong Kong to beyond Shantou - a city of 1.2 million people where the tropic of Cancer crosses the Chinese coast - had about a 1-in-10 chance of being struck by a tsumani within 100 years.
Fund firms 'driven out of polluted HK'
To someone who hasn't been to Hong Kong, the headline is definitely a scary one.
Worsening pollution in Hong Kong is forcing hedge fund operators and investment specialists out of Hong Kong and into rival Singapore, company insiders say.
Hedge funds, including US firms Marathon Asset Management and Stark Investments as well as mutual fund company Janus Capital, have moved their Asian headquarters to Singapore in the past six months, at least partly because of concerns by staff about their children's health.
Another fund, Silver Metis - recently set up by a former employee of Hong Kong-based hedge fund Lloyd George Management - also chose Singapore as a base over Hong Kong, partly because of the Lion City's cleaner environment.
"Hedge fund bosses want to move to Singapore for their children's sake, but their younger single staff want to stay in Hong Kong to party," said a banker who works with hedge funds.
The secretive organizations would not comment officially on their decisions to move, but insiders at several of the companies said pollution had been a major factor.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one senior manager said environmental concerns were the "prime motivation" for his firm's move out of Hong Kong. He said he knew of three others that had moved from Hong Kong or chose Singapore as a base when setting up Asian operations in the past year.
"You get to a point where you just don't want your children growing up with gas masks on," he said
"We still have an office in Hong Kong but our base is really in Singapore. There were hurdles in setting up there, of course, but now we are up and running, and it is working out fine. It has taken millions out of the Hong Kong economy."
He said even some big established banks were finding it harder to recruit experienced staff with families to come to Hong Kong because of the well-publicised pollution problems.
Another hedge fund insider said many had moved the majority of their businesses to Singapore with their families but still maintained a front office operation in Hong Kong.
"If you've got kids, most people worry about the pollution because it is getting worse, so you can understand wanting to move."
He said Singapore had lower staffing costs, homes were bigger and the regulatory regime less onerous. But the price for commercial office space was nearly as high as Hong Kong.
"But the real financial markets in Asia are in Hong Kong, and the big story is China," he said. "China-related equities are running hard, and it's easier to do that in Hong Kong."
Andrew Thompson, chief executive officer of the Business Environment Council, said surveys from chambers of commerce suggested pollution was increasingly a reason for people leaving Hong Kong.
Mr Thompson said the evidence was mostly anecdotal and almost impossible to put numbers on.
"The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has found that pollution is an issue, but schooling tends to be a bigger issue. Of course the overriding factor is economic opportunities and it's hard to see people leaving for places such as Beijing or Shanghai for better air quality."
A spokesman for the government's Trade and Development Council said there was no evidence that moving to Singapore had become a trend. "It's very hard to generalize and you would have to watch this over a long period of time."
The council's figures show that 3,845 overseas firms had regional operations in Hong Kong on June 1 last year, up 20 per cent from 2003.
Worsening pollution in Hong Kong is forcing hedge fund operators and investment specialists out of Hong Kong and into rival Singapore, company insiders say.
Hedge funds, including US firms Marathon Asset Management and Stark Investments as well as mutual fund company Janus Capital, have moved their Asian headquarters to Singapore in the past six months, at least partly because of concerns by staff about their children's health.
Another fund, Silver Metis - recently set up by a former employee of Hong Kong-based hedge fund Lloyd George Management - also chose Singapore as a base over Hong Kong, partly because of the Lion City's cleaner environment.
"Hedge fund bosses want to move to Singapore for their children's sake, but their younger single staff want to stay in Hong Kong to party," said a banker who works with hedge funds.
The secretive organizations would not comment officially on their decisions to move, but insiders at several of the companies said pollution had been a major factor.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one senior manager said environmental concerns were the "prime motivation" for his firm's move out of Hong Kong. He said he knew of three others that had moved from Hong Kong or chose Singapore as a base when setting up Asian operations in the past year.
"You get to a point where you just don't want your children growing up with gas masks on," he said
"We still have an office in Hong Kong but our base is really in Singapore. There were hurdles in setting up there, of course, but now we are up and running, and it is working out fine. It has taken millions out of the Hong Kong economy."
He said even some big established banks were finding it harder to recruit experienced staff with families to come to Hong Kong because of the well-publicised pollution problems.
Another hedge fund insider said many had moved the majority of their businesses to Singapore with their families but still maintained a front office operation in Hong Kong.
"If you've got kids, most people worry about the pollution because it is getting worse, so you can understand wanting to move."
He said Singapore had lower staffing costs, homes were bigger and the regulatory regime less onerous. But the price for commercial office space was nearly as high as Hong Kong.
"But the real financial markets in Asia are in Hong Kong, and the big story is China," he said. "China-related equities are running hard, and it's easier to do that in Hong Kong."
Andrew Thompson, chief executive officer of the Business Environment Council, said surveys from chambers of commerce suggested pollution was increasingly a reason for people leaving Hong Kong.
Mr Thompson said the evidence was mostly anecdotal and almost impossible to put numbers on.
"The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has found that pollution is an issue, but schooling tends to be a bigger issue. Of course the overriding factor is economic opportunities and it's hard to see people leaving for places such as Beijing or Shanghai for better air quality."
A spokesman for the government's Trade and Development Council said there was no evidence that moving to Singapore had become a trend. "It's very hard to generalize and you would have to watch this over a long period of time."
The council's figures show that 3,845 overseas firms had regional operations in Hong Kong on June 1 last year, up 20 per cent from 2003.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
MTR secret: They have toilets!
Okay, it's not a secret anymore. Two months after the MTR Corporation announced it would better publicise the availability of staff toilets for public use during emergencies, employees at the stations are complaining about the increased workload in helping passengers.
Attending to passenger requests took away time to do duties like monitoring the concourse turnstiles, attending to Octopus card enquiries or manning the train doors during brief train stops.
Each station is equipped with at least seven staff toilets. The MTR Corp is studying the possibility of retrofitting toilets in eight of its above-ground stations.
Union chairman Philip Chan Sin-wo said their work guidelines required them to walk passengers to the toilets and wait outside until they finished.
"We are not saying the passengers are annoying, but [the number of requests] has posed problems," Mr Chan said. "What if they faint inside the enclosed toilets and get hurt?
Generally people in Hong Kong are aware that MTR stations have no toilets for public use. This enables people to look for alternative places to use such facilities. Unlike most places in Europe that I visited, usage of washrooms in Hong Kong's malls, restaurants, hotels and government facilities is free. People don't have to buy anything to get access to use these toilets. They have dedicated staff who maintain sanitation, no matter how small the facility can be.
Mr Chan and other employees on the MTR said a rise in numbers had not created a hygiene problem, but he said it would be unavoidable that some train captains needing to use toilets when they switched trains might find the toilets were occupied by the public.
It is difficult to tell when is a request from a passenger becomes emergency. All obvious "toilet-related" emergencies are deemed too late, which means the damage has been done to MTR facility or embarrassment to passenger has already took place. If a staff asks if the request is urgent, a natural reply will be yes. Otherwise, passengers can wait until they get off the station and use washrooms elsehwhere.
Inspite of the announcement of toilet availability, many people are not aware of their presence. An earlier telephone survey of 513 people showed that 80 per cent of the respondents did not know staff toilets in the stations were available to passengers.
Why does the MTR not create a toilet for public use without bothering the MTR staff? Can they use part of the profit to construct such facilities?
Railways have drawn more interest from the riding public amidst increased awareness on greater impact of cars and buses on the environment. Therefore MTR will always be earning as a public mode of transportation, on top of its commercial properties. It must then do something in return to serve the public during toilet emergencies.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wiki'd Ways: Donald Tsang's Wikipedia entry
One of the hottest topics that involved Wikipedia recently is the ability to track down the author of certain changes to Wiki edits and on how these individual editors' organizations are related to these modifications. For one, Wikipedia brags that its entries can be edited by anyone, provided that the entries are accurate, notable and cite reputable references. So when the news broke about Microsoft making an edit to its entry by hiring a blogger to do the job, was there any rule broken? Maybe no, but the issue was not about sticking to the rules but on how such changes were done.Wikipedia may be touted as inaccurate but such claims is normal, given that anyone can make changes to articles posted there. But the existence of inaccurate entries don't last long. Someone could easily remove excerpts of an article that is deemed questionable or self-promotion links or irrelevant citations that appear on the bottom of the page. On a wider scale, articles themselves don't exist long enough if they don't deserve to be there (according to Wikipedia standards).
Who is editing certain sections of which articles can now be tracked, thanks to Wikiscanner, a tool developed by CalTech graduate student Virgil Griffith who built the search tool that traces IP addresses of those who make Wikipedia changes.
Using such tool, there were glaring signs of involvement of certain organizations related to certain Wikipedia topics.
Here in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and two government departments have been caught up in the embarrassing Wikipedia editing storm sweeping the globe. A search using the Wikiscanner program has revealed Mr Tsang's profile was subjected to extensive favorable editing at the height of his re-election quest from Bank of East Asia offices, where he was running his campaign.
I bet opposition supporters will try to find something unfavorable about the Chief Executive with complete set of references too. The "opposition" organization could come from groups or organizations perceived by the public as neutral.
Among the issues tackled in the editing war was about Mr Tsang's environmental record and attempts to tackle the pollution problem, where edits were tracked from Independent Commission Against Corruption office computer network, alleging that Hong Kong's pollution problem has led to the departure of some foreign companies.
Another edit comes from the Education Bureau, with a user editing the profile of The Society for Truth and Light, the anti-gay rights group controversially hired by the bureau to give teachers human rights courses. An editor using a computer at the bureau in May added an entry calling the society a "hate group" that "induced moral panic in local society".
So what does it mean for an ordinary citizen? It could mean that Wikipedia, widely thought and accepted as a reference with unbiased articles based on its user editing structure, were blatantly used by certain fronts for public relations exercise instead of displaying impartial sources people can rely. Wikipedia is still a trusted organization, no doubt about it. One proof is its prominent search engine result placement in Google for thousands of search queries.
Thanks to Wikiscanner, hopefully it will at least minimize such "abuse".
But what if HK Magazine will publish an ad looking for Wikipedia editors?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Father Denis Hanly's last Mass at St Joseph church
I attended Father Denis Hanly's last celebration of the Mass at St Joseph Church in Central today. I didn't know it was the last one until the end of the Holy Eucharist when a member of the lector group provided a short tribute to the beloved parish priest.When I came to Hong Kong in 2001, St Joseph church has been my first adopted parish after short stints at St Andrew's in Makati and growing up with Immaculate Conception Parish in Davao City. And on most Masses were officiated by Father Hanly, an American of Irish ancestry.
He is a jolly fellow and is often seen with an infectious smile. And it seems everyone gets along with him very well. After the Mass, he goes back from the exits to join the choir in singing the recessional hymn. I only spoken to him once during the Advent season last year. I went to church with Nina and we were looking for someone to ask about baptism schedules. We found no one to approach at first but Father Hanly was there. We had a short chat and he asked how excited we were for Christmas.
While listening to his homilies, it is not unusual to hear his story as a young boy growing up in New York, with vivid memories of his family and childhood activities which painted a monochrome vision in my mind as I swam back in time.
I have been attending different churches out of convenience reaching from Wan Chai to Choi Hung to Hang Hau. But at times I still manage to hear Mass at St Joseph's, even at 7am Mass, straight from Quarry Bay via the MTR and through the empty lobby of Pacific Place. Mostly I hear Mass at 6pm after my class and the CLP in Choi Hung. Today, I came in to witness the last Mass he celebrated at St Joseph Church, the church he has been serving for the past seven years.
He will be transferred to St Margaret Church in Happy Valley, not too far from Central. His departure from St Joseph's creates a sense of realization that nothing in this world is permanent but change. We have enjoyed listening to his sharings, songs and teachings. May he be blessed with more years to serve in the community of St Margaret church.
Metro Hong Kong - Shenzhen
In an effort to unite closer to motherland, Hong Kong and nearby Shenzhen will develop a high-level cooperation that will enhance its strength on many fronts.
A stronger rail and airport connection, smoother customs procedures at border crossings, and better people and information flow would be needed. For those who do not know yet, a new station extending KCR's reach to the Mainland has been inaugurated into service.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang envisioned Hong Kong to have ten million inhabitants which I think isn't too feasible. Now it may be, as long as it calls itself Metro Hong Kong-Shenzhen. The result will actually double the estimated population which will bring even more clout within the Pearl Delta Region.
"This partnership came under 'one country, two systems' - two neighboring cities with two different customs duty zones. We must remain clear- headed and must not underestimate the difficulties that lie ahead in this process for the two parties," he said.
Definitely there will be significant problems which are more than just birth pains.
3 + 46 = 1?
Fan, director of the National Economic Research Institute, cited a study which ranked Hong Kong No 3 and Shenzhen 46th in the list of business centers. When partnered, their ranking would rise to No 1. The mathematical formula doesn't work that way, and unfortunately in many occasions in real life as well.
Collaboration would propel both cities forward. But Columbia University sociology professor Saskia Sassen, said "getting bigger is not always better." And I think this should be the thing most planners of this amalgamation have to bear in mind.
She warned the two partners must know what they seek in the relationship. One must not assume the strength of the other simply because the two are united. Hong Kong is well-known as a financial center and Shenzhen as manufacturing backdoor. Will the trend continue? Yes, if it means benefits to Hong Kong and Shenzhen residents. And such difference in strengths are complementary and should bode well for both cities.
Hong Kong has a deep economic history, remarkable in its versatility and as a financial center, while Shenzhen's specialty lies in manufacturing, the service industry and an exchange for small and medium companies.
A stronger rail and airport connection, smoother customs procedures at border crossings, and better people and information flow would be needed. For those who do not know yet, a new station extending KCR's reach to the Mainland has been inaugurated into service.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang envisioned Hong Kong to have ten million inhabitants which I think isn't too feasible. Now it may be, as long as it calls itself Metro Hong Kong-Shenzhen. The result will actually double the estimated population which will bring even more clout within the Pearl Delta Region.
"This partnership came under 'one country, two systems' - two neighboring cities with two different customs duty zones. We must remain clear- headed and must not underestimate the difficulties that lie ahead in this process for the two parties," he said.
Definitely there will be significant problems which are more than just birth pains.
3 + 46 = 1?
Fan, director of the National Economic Research Institute, cited a study which ranked Hong Kong No 3 and Shenzhen 46th in the list of business centers. When partnered, their ranking would rise to No 1. The mathematical formula doesn't work that way, and unfortunately in many occasions in real life as well.
Collaboration would propel both cities forward. But Columbia University sociology professor Saskia Sassen, said "getting bigger is not always better." And I think this should be the thing most planners of this amalgamation have to bear in mind.
She warned the two partners must know what they seek in the relationship. One must not assume the strength of the other simply because the two are united. Hong Kong is well-known as a financial center and Shenzhen as manufacturing backdoor. Will the trend continue? Yes, if it means benefits to Hong Kong and Shenzhen residents. And such difference in strengths are complementary and should bode well for both cities.
Hong Kong has a deep economic history, remarkable in its versatility and as a financial center, while Shenzhen's specialty lies in manufacturing, the service industry and an exchange for small and medium companies.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Proof that Hong Kong is indeed a crowded place
Imagine you had that call from nature. Whether it's a raging river toilet or a solemn corner of a hotel lounge, you have to get there by hook or by crook.
To many of us experiencing the same thing, the sight of Helvetica man is often a sign of relief. After anxious moments searching for a washroom you finally found one.
But what if inside the comfort room is an accommodating yet cramped facility. This makes us question how did an architect design such amenity especially if he belongs to the male species. It is composed of a toilet bowl and a couple of urinals just a few centimeters from each other. Worse, someone was using ANY of these facilities. Would you ever try to sit on the bowl if someone is using the urinals or would you ever try to use the urinal if someone just squat at the bowl?
This could explain how crowded Hong Kong can be, although it is estimated that only 17% of the whole territory is used (the rest is greenery). It's so expensive to rent a space that washrooms could just be constructed to conform with the law. I wonder if Hong Kong laws have specified how big should a washroom be or how many urinals should be in place. Try to sneak in at any of McDonald's or KFC comfort rooms and you will see what I mean. Seeing them clean and tidy definitely compensates for the lack of space.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. You can just push those fellows out of their positions and own the room for just a minute. Don't bother if they'll be back knocking, "can I have some toilet paper please?".
Malu Fernandez: The (in)sensitive traveler's acerbic wit
Update: Malu Fernandez quit her job. News from GMA7 and ABS-CBN.
Posting a blog about controversial articles is flirting with public relations disaster. But it can be remedied by correcting spelling and grammar, modifying the sources of information of the post or deleting it altogether once and for all. But posting a controversial article into print media is more than just flirting with disaster. On some occasions it's disaster in itself.
I came across the news about overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from around the world outraged by an article posted by a fellow Filipino named Malu Fernandez which appeared in a recent People Asia issue. I read the article and all I can say is that it takes a lot of courage to get this past her editor, if ever she has one, and get published without being too sensitive to the feelings of others (hence the title of this post). You can read the articles at Page 30 and Page 31.
I'd like to dissect a few sentences from the article.
For one thing she isn't insensitive.
In fact she is overly sensitive. To the bugs and mosquitoes. And hates beaches when going for vacation. I wonder where she frequents on those trips. Is it on the dining table? Just asking.
You don't look like an insect to me so don't worry, you'll be spared.
Good choice madam. So you can't sleep at night if you are staying at an orderly yet below-par 3-star accommodation. Let alone on a cramped uncomfortable spaces some Filipino abroad are used to go to sleep.
Good choice of words madam. "Bravely" was used in disguise to hide yourself from embarrassment being seen by familiar people not flying on a business class. On another angle, you were so brave to face your fellow kababayan who are noisy as hell, and brave enough to try to get yourself snug inside the undersized seat.
In business class or first class, you'll seldom see Filipinos, except for a few worthy ones and corrupt officials who spend public money on a family trip abroad. Filipinos are typically frugal, and that includes you.
Yes, the hub of Emirates is in Dubai. You see, it's actually in the name of the country where Dubai belongs: United Arab Emirates. That's a little geography for you. Majority of OFWs are stationed there? Where did you get this piece of inaccurate information? Majority of OFWs work in the Middle East, but not in Dubai as far as I know.
This isn't funny at all. It is painful. To feel bad "trapped" in the plane with the company of fellowmen who left families and endured homesickness to work abroad is just so sick. Just because these fellows are noisy and talk things that make no sense to you, you'd like to slash your wrist? I can't imagine any flavor of humor in that line. People talk a lot on the plane as they see fellow Filipinos because they may have few opportunities to talk. On Sundays in Hong Kong, you'll see a noisy barangay of Filipinas sheltered under the HSBC headquarters. Do I mind, no. Because that's one of the few occasions they can talk.
Do you fear that you will be asked if you're also a domestic helper like them? Maybe you look like a domestic helper more than a travel writer.
I haven't been to Dubai but I can imagine the scene as I also made a stopover in Doha on my way to Europe. Some Duty Free shops employ Filipinos who sell jewelry, watches, pefumes, cigars and souvenir items. And they are nice people! Too nice to "overrun" an unsuspecting Duty Free shop.
(I decline to explain.)
Ouch! That hurts even more. You don't have to say distasteful comments to people on the plane and complain if you can't afford to lease a private jet to accommodate your big frame. Whenever I travel from Hong Kong to Manila or vice versa, I share the same observations with you. But I'd rather keep these to myself. If you can't help but blurt out these nasty comments, you'd end up making a lot of people upset. Private hell? It was more like saying you're in a prison cell with all these criminals.
You has been quoted later that the article was meant to be humorous.
"Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit," you said, according to GMA News.
I think only your close friends would like to know you don't wear Havaianas and scratch your pedicure or bubble gum chewing noise is louder in the cabin. You'd end up making the makers of these sandals upset, so as the manufacturers or endorsers of AXE or Charlie perfumes because you portray them as inferior while you adore your Jo Malone.
Yes you thought so, because I don't find it funny at all! What genre could you have referenced this so-called funny article? British or American humor? I think it's garbage humor.
So if you'd like to take part of the trolling and flame war with this fine writer, then you have to be intellectually mean, as Prudence would put it. I will not call you pig, elephant or whatever.
I don't know how editors of this reputable magazine allowed such exerpts in the article to be published. To insult the OFW through making fun out of their situation is just stupid. Just because this woman is rich (an assumption) doesn't mean she can write what she just published. I know I am reading People Asia and not Idiots Asia. Is this magazine running out of sensible topics that this piece even made its way to the magazine stands? No wonder it gets a lot of publicity from bloggers like me.
(There are other worthy blogs that tackle this matter.)
I have been to over 25 cities outside of the Philippines and I see the diaspora of the Filipino migrant workers taking its place into different locations, whether it is in Schwedenplatz or in Vienna or Tokyo's Shinjuku district. While I admit there are instances where I despise some actions of OFWs which I deem as embarrassing, I'd rather keep it to myself instead of doing a shame campaign as what Malu Fernandez has done, deliberately or not.
What's my stand. Let her resign? No, of course not. An article getting this amount of publicity doesn't warrant someone resigning from the job. Negative publicity is still publicity which is what every magazine wants to be famous for. If she does resign, she'll never have a chance to make up for these silly things. Ask People Asia / Manila Standard fire her? No, that's gross. Firing someone for writing disturbing articles might also include the editors or the publisher should decide to close shop. We have the freedom to express what we think, although we must not express them at the expense of other people.
Let her prove detractors wrong and let her write her stuff. More than just by being defiant. May God bless you and your future articles.
Posting a blog about controversial articles is flirting with public relations disaster. But it can be remedied by correcting spelling and grammar, modifying the sources of information of the post or deleting it altogether once and for all. But posting a controversial article into print media is more than just flirting with disaster. On some occasions it's disaster in itself.
I came across the news about overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from around the world outraged by an article posted by a fellow Filipino named Malu Fernandez which appeared in a recent People Asia issue. I read the article and all I can say is that it takes a lot of courage to get this past her editor, if ever she has one, and get published without being too sensitive to the feelings of others (hence the title of this post). You can read the articles at Page 30 and Page 31.
I'd like to dissect a few sentences from the article.
For one thing she isn't insensitive.
"You see I had serious trepidations (feeling of alarm or dread) about going to the beach. You see I hate the sand, the bugs and mosquitoes".
In fact she is overly sensitive. To the bugs and mosquitoes. And hates beaches when going for vacation. I wonder where she frequents on those trips. Is it on the dining table? Just asking.
"I thought I had nearly killed myself with all the insect repellant and Lysol disinfectant I was spraying".
You don't look like an insect to me so don't worry, you'll be spared.
"For me, the minimum requirement for traveling is a Holiday Inn."
Good choice madam. So you can't sleep at night if you are staying at an orderly yet below-par 3-star accommodation. Let alone on a cramped uncomfortable spaces some Filipino abroad are used to go to sleep.
"But getting there (Greece) was a bloody nightmare. To save on my ticket I bravely took an economy class seat on Emirates as recommended by my travel agent."
Good choice of words madam. "Bravely" was used in disguise to hide yourself from embarrassment being seen by familiar people not flying on a business class. On another angle, you were so brave to face your fellow kababayan who are noisy as hell, and brave enough to try to get yourself snug inside the undersized seat.
In business class or first class, you'll seldom see Filipinos, except for a few worthy ones and corrupt officials who spend public money on a family trip abroad. Filipinos are typically frugal, and that includes you.
"...I forgot that the hub was in Dubai and the majority of the OFWs are stationed there."
Yes, the hub of Emirates is in Dubai. You see, it's actually in the name of the country where Dubai belongs: United Arab Emirates. That's a little geography for you. Majority of OFWs are stationed there? Where did you get this piece of inaccurate information? Majority of OFWs work in the Middle East, but not in Dubai as far as I know.
"The duty-free shop was overrun by Filipino workers selling cell-phones and perfume. Meanwhile I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in the plane with them".
This isn't funny at all. It is painful. To feel bad "trapped" in the plane with the company of fellowmen who left families and endured homesickness to work abroad is just so sick. Just because these fellows are noisy and talk things that make no sense to you, you'd like to slash your wrist? I can't imagine any flavor of humor in that line. People talk a lot on the plane as they see fellow Filipinos because they may have few opportunities to talk. On Sundays in Hong Kong, you'll see a noisy barangay of Filipinas sheltered under the HSBC headquarters. Do I mind, no. Because that's one of the few occasions they can talk.
Do you fear that you will be asked if you're also a domestic helper like them? Maybe you look like a domestic helper more than a travel writer.
I haven't been to Dubai but I can imagine the scene as I also made a stopover in Doha on my way to Europe. Some Duty Free shops employ Filipinos who sell jewelry, watches, pefumes, cigars and souvenir items. And they are nice people! Too nice to "overrun" an unsuspecting Duty Free shop.
"While I was on the plane (where the seats were so small I had bruises on my legs), my only consolation was the entertainment on the small flat screen in front of me."
(I decline to explain.)
"But it was busted, so I heaved a sigh, popped my sleeping pills and dozed off to the sounds of gum chewing and endless yelling of 'Hey there? Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well? I thought I had died and God sent me to my own private hell'".
Ouch! That hurts even more. You don't have to say distasteful comments to people on the plane and complain if you can't afford to lease a private jet to accommodate your big frame. Whenever I travel from Hong Kong to Manila or vice versa, I share the same observations with you. But I'd rather keep these to myself. If you can't help but blurt out these nasty comments, you'd end up making a lot of people upset. Private hell? It was more like saying you're in a prison cell with all these criminals.
You has been quoted later that the article was meant to be humorous.
"Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit," you said, according to GMA News.
I think only your close friends would like to know you don't wear Havaianas and scratch your pedicure or bubble gum chewing noise is louder in the cabin. You'd end up making the makers of these sandals upset, so as the manufacturers or endorsers of AXE or Charlie perfumes because you portray them as inferior while you adore your Jo Malone.
Yes you thought so, because I don't find it funny at all! What genre could you have referenced this so-called funny article? British or American humor? I think it's garbage humor.
So if you'd like to take part of the trolling and flame war with this fine writer, then you have to be intellectually mean, as Prudence would put it. I will not call you pig, elephant or whatever.
I don't know how editors of this reputable magazine allowed such exerpts in the article to be published. To insult the OFW through making fun out of their situation is just stupid. Just because this woman is rich (an assumption) doesn't mean she can write what she just published. I know I am reading People Asia and not Idiots Asia. Is this magazine running out of sensible topics that this piece even made its way to the magazine stands? No wonder it gets a lot of publicity from bloggers like me.
(There are other worthy blogs that tackle this matter.)
I have been to over 25 cities outside of the Philippines and I see the diaspora of the Filipino migrant workers taking its place into different locations, whether it is in Schwedenplatz or in Vienna or Tokyo's Shinjuku district. While I admit there are instances where I despise some actions of OFWs which I deem as embarrassing, I'd rather keep it to myself instead of doing a shame campaign as what Malu Fernandez has done, deliberately or not.
What's my stand. Let her resign? No, of course not. An article getting this amount of publicity doesn't warrant someone resigning from the job. Negative publicity is still publicity which is what every magazine wants to be famous for. If she does resign, she'll never have a chance to make up for these silly things. Ask People Asia / Manila Standard fire her? No, that's gross. Firing someone for writing disturbing articles might also include the editors or the publisher should decide to close shop. We have the freedom to express what we think, although we must not express them at the expense of other people.
Let her prove detractors wrong and let her write her stuff. More than just by being defiant. May God bless you and your future articles.
MTR theme song
Richard H (aka HK or Bust) picked up this nice simple video (with a song) that describes the stations within the Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR). It does enumerate the Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line and Island Line but not the Tseung Kwan O Line. I am not sure if the song was composed before August 18, 2002, a little over five years ago, when the Tseung Kwan O Line (also known as purple line) was inaugurated?
Play the video and listen to the familiar tune (especially if you have heard Hong Kong's AM stations).
Is this song better than the theme song MTR is currently offering?
Play the video and listen to the familiar tune (especially if you have heard Hong Kong's AM stations).
Is this song better than the theme song MTR is currently offering?
Hong Kong hogs losing ground to humans
Li Chung Woon started his first hog farm here in the rural district of Tai Wai 40 years ago. When housing began to encroach, he moved to the border with mainland China. Now he has nowhere to go.
"The government is concerned about the handling of manure and sewage," said Li, 70, who will shut his 4,600 square-meter, or 50,000 square-foot, farm by year's end because he cannot afford to meet proposed hygiene standards. "I want to continue the business, but these stringent measures have deterred me."
Hong Kong's government is encouraging 90 percent of the city's hog farms to close, citing health risks as the population expands. That may leave the territory - already reliant on China for four-fifths of its live pork - more vulnerable to price swings as inflation and food scares shake the Chinese market.
Wholesale pork prices in China have surged 46 percent this year because of rising feed costs and disease. Hong Kong's live hog supply fell 35 percent below normal in July after a fresh outbreak of so-called blue ear virus in China.
"Hong Kong should keep some of its own pig farms to secure at least a short-term supply in case of crisis," said Chong Tai Leung, an economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Shortages in China, the world's largest pork producer and consumer, have helped Chicago hog futures rise 16 percent this year as traders bet the country would import more U.S. meat.
Pig inventories at some Chinese farms have fallen as much as 50 percent, according to Lang Yanping, a livestock analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence, a commodity market researcher.
"Hong Kong can switch from the mainland to overseas" for the 4,500 live hogs it imports daily, said Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University in Hong Kong. "But living costs will rise significantly."
Like most Chinese societies, Hong Kong takes fresh pork seriously. The meat dangles, unrefrigerated, from hooks in street stalls and so-called wet markets. Some supermarkets offer fresh pork counters, where butchers cut to order.
Pigs slaughtered daily account for 42 percent of consumption, compared with 54 percent for frozen pork and 4 percent for chilled, according to the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
"Restaurants rely very much on fresh pork," said Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades. Frozen meat is scorned for its poor taste, he said.
Such preferences are not just the preserve of older, more traditional clients.
"I go to the wet market or supermarket for fresh vegetables, fish and pork four days a week after work," said Mandy Tsui, 24, a researcher who cooks at home. "I don't like frozen food. It tastes like the smell of a fridge."
The Chinese Commerce Ministry moved to allay Hong Kong's supply concerns last month by ending the 50-year monopoly on wholesale live pigs of Hong Kong state-controlled Ng Fung Hong.
Ng Fung Hong tried to maintain a price lower than that on the mainland, hurting supplier profits and causing "difficulties in finding sources," according to a ministry statement in July.
The Hong Kong government has stepped up measures to tighten hygiene standards for farms and markets since about one million chickens were culled during an outbreak of bird flu in 1997. It is preparing a farming code with 59 rules governing safety, carcass handling and inspections.
Five minutes' drive from Li's piggery, about 80 luxury houses built two years ago sell for 3,600 Hong Kong dollars, or $460, a square foot, compared with 2,200 dollars on average in the district.
"Humans and hogs are fighting for space," said Lo Wing Lok, former president of the Hong Kong Medical Association and a government adviser on infectious diseases.
Blue ear disease, or porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome, killed 45,546 pigs in 25 Chinese provinces through July 22 and caused a further 42,728 to be culled, according to the Chinese Agriculture Ministry. The disease does not affect humans.
In 2005, at least 11 people in Hong Kong were infected with streptococcus suis, a pig-borne disease that killed 39 people in Sichuan province.
Hong Kong's 265 hog farmers raised 430,000 pigs last year. The 243 who have agreed to surrender their licenses will share as much as $120 million of compensation, according to the government.
Cheung Ka Shing, one farmer, is heading across the border to Guangdong province, where he plans to invest $38 million in new piggeries.
"Some government officials told us Guangdong will lack 20 million hogs a year," said Cheung, who is chairman of the Hong Kong Agriculture Special Zone Development Association.
Hong Kong's government is encouraging 90% of the city's hog farms to close down, saying that the growing population is exposed to health risks.
Li Chung Woon who 40 years ago, started his first hog farm in rural Hong Kong and has since moved to the border with mainland China, now has to shut his 50 000 square-foot farm by the end of the year because he cannot afford to meet the recommended hygiene standards.
"The government is concerned about the handling of manure and sewage," he says. "I want to continue the business, but these stringent measures have deterred me," he adds.
In case of a crisis
Hong Kong's live hog supply plummeted to 35% percent below normal in July after an outbreak of PRRS (blue-ear virus) in China.
Chong Tai Leung, an economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said, "Hong Kong should keep some of its own pig farms to secure at least a short-term supply in case of crisis."
The closing down of hog farms may mean becoming reliant on already vulnerable China for four-fifths of its live pork.
Farming code to tighten safety
Since 1 million chickens were culled in 1997 due to an outbreak, Hong Kong set its sights on tightening hygiene standards for farms. It is currently preparing a farming code consisting of fifty-nine rules that will administer safety, carcass handling and inspections.
"The government is concerned about the handling of manure and sewage," said Li, 70, who will shut his 4,600 square-meter, or 50,000 square-foot, farm by year's end because he cannot afford to meet proposed hygiene standards. "I want to continue the business, but these stringent measures have deterred me."
Hong Kong's government is encouraging 90 percent of the city's hog farms to close, citing health risks as the population expands. That may leave the territory - already reliant on China for four-fifths of its live pork - more vulnerable to price swings as inflation and food scares shake the Chinese market.
Wholesale pork prices in China have surged 46 percent this year because of rising feed costs and disease. Hong Kong's live hog supply fell 35 percent below normal in July after a fresh outbreak of so-called blue ear virus in China.
"Hong Kong should keep some of its own pig farms to secure at least a short-term supply in case of crisis," said Chong Tai Leung, an economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Shortages in China, the world's largest pork producer and consumer, have helped Chicago hog futures rise 16 percent this year as traders bet the country would import more U.S. meat.
Pig inventories at some Chinese farms have fallen as much as 50 percent, according to Lang Yanping, a livestock analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence, a commodity market researcher.
"Hong Kong can switch from the mainland to overseas" for the 4,500 live hogs it imports daily, said Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University in Hong Kong. "But living costs will rise significantly."
Like most Chinese societies, Hong Kong takes fresh pork seriously. The meat dangles, unrefrigerated, from hooks in street stalls and so-called wet markets. Some supermarkets offer fresh pork counters, where butchers cut to order.
Pigs slaughtered daily account for 42 percent of consumption, compared with 54 percent for frozen pork and 4 percent for chilled, according to the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
"Restaurants rely very much on fresh pork," said Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades. Frozen meat is scorned for its poor taste, he said.
Such preferences are not just the preserve of older, more traditional clients.
"I go to the wet market or supermarket for fresh vegetables, fish and pork four days a week after work," said Mandy Tsui, 24, a researcher who cooks at home. "I don't like frozen food. It tastes like the smell of a fridge."
The Chinese Commerce Ministry moved to allay Hong Kong's supply concerns last month by ending the 50-year monopoly on wholesale live pigs of Hong Kong state-controlled Ng Fung Hong.
Ng Fung Hong tried to maintain a price lower than that on the mainland, hurting supplier profits and causing "difficulties in finding sources," according to a ministry statement in July.
The Hong Kong government has stepped up measures to tighten hygiene standards for farms and markets since about one million chickens were culled during an outbreak of bird flu in 1997. It is preparing a farming code with 59 rules governing safety, carcass handling and inspections.
Five minutes' drive from Li's piggery, about 80 luxury houses built two years ago sell for 3,600 Hong Kong dollars, or $460, a square foot, compared with 2,200 dollars on average in the district.
"Humans and hogs are fighting for space," said Lo Wing Lok, former president of the Hong Kong Medical Association and a government adviser on infectious diseases.
Blue ear disease, or porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome, killed 45,546 pigs in 25 Chinese provinces through July 22 and caused a further 42,728 to be culled, according to the Chinese Agriculture Ministry. The disease does not affect humans.
In 2005, at least 11 people in Hong Kong were infected with streptococcus suis, a pig-borne disease that killed 39 people in Sichuan province.
Hong Kong's 265 hog farmers raised 430,000 pigs last year. The 243 who have agreed to surrender their licenses will share as much as $120 million of compensation, according to the government.
Cheung Ka Shing, one farmer, is heading across the border to Guangdong province, where he plans to invest $38 million in new piggeries.
"Some government officials told us Guangdong will lack 20 million hogs a year," said Cheung, who is chairman of the Hong Kong Agriculture Special Zone Development Association.
Hong Kong's government is encouraging 90% of the city's hog farms to close down, saying that the growing population is exposed to health risks.
Li Chung Woon who 40 years ago, started his first hog farm in rural Hong Kong and has since moved to the border with mainland China, now has to shut his 50 000 square-foot farm by the end of the year because he cannot afford to meet the recommended hygiene standards.
"The government is concerned about the handling of manure and sewage," he says. "I want to continue the business, but these stringent measures have deterred me," he adds.
In case of a crisis
Hong Kong's live hog supply plummeted to 35% percent below normal in July after an outbreak of PRRS (blue-ear virus) in China.
Chong Tai Leung, an economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said, "Hong Kong should keep some of its own pig farms to secure at least a short-term supply in case of crisis."
The closing down of hog farms may mean becoming reliant on already vulnerable China for four-fifths of its live pork.
Farming code to tighten safety
Since 1 million chickens were culled in 1997 due to an outbreak, Hong Kong set its sights on tightening hygiene standards for farms. It is currently preparing a farming code consisting of fifty-nine rules that will administer safety, carcass handling and inspections.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Struggling to serve
One good thing about Hong Kong is that it is a bilingual territory. So most of the time, outdoor signs are rendered in Traditional Chinese and English.But sometimes a supposedly simple Chinese instruction can terribly go wrong. Subject-verb agreement, modifier placement, articles and determiners, compound nouns and modifiers and so on and so forth. That is why it plants a smile on everyone's face to read the English translation of these Chinese characters. What a characteristic of a World City.
Hong Kong laws on charities
There has been an outpouring of offers to help an Iraqi boy named Youssif, whose face had been burned by unidentified people just outside of his house in Baghdad. With such popular news network covering his story, thousands upon thousands pledged to help.There exists a call that invites Hong Kong people to become philanthropists. Solicitations come in different forms: letters, stickers, online marketing campaigns and MTR banners. The choice of charity functions also has a wide variety: Oxfam and World Food Programme for food, UNICEF and Po Leung Kuk for children's welfare, Tung Wah, Caritas and Community Chest for family well-being and Hong Kong Red Cross, MSF and Hong Kong AIDS Foundation for health-related concerns.
In recent weeks, thousands of Hong Kong households received individually addressed envelopes from a charity called the World Children's Fund Hong Kong asking for donations to help poor children in China. The envelopes usually included a cover letter featuring a small girl ("Little Xiaoling is destined to a life of hopelessness.unless…"), a payment slip, a prepaid return envelope and a "complimentary" pair of chopsticks.
What's particularly unusual about this particular charity is its claim to "double the value of my donation to Help the Chinese Children. If you give HK$350, the amount will be matched and doubled in value to equal HK$700." Doubling your money is a strong claim, and no mention is made of how the charity performs this feat.
That is partly because it doesn't have to. The Hong Kong government lacks the administrative structures and laws that would allow its public to make informed choices on charities. Doubtless there are many who have already given their money to this particular cause in good faith; but they do so with little way of knowing exactly where it ends up.
Certainly the sector is open to declining credibility and donor inflows. The Social Welfare Department lists 175 charitable non-governmental organizations which at the 2006 financial year end received HK$6.34 billion in funding. In a region and market where increasing wealth meets increasing inequality, philanthropy has major potential to become big business –a good thing for all those involved.
At present, charities are under no legal obligation to disclose their accounts either publicly or to the government, which has instead published a "Reference Guide on Best Practices" that charities are merely "encouraged" to follow. While this document outlines the legal and accounting standards to which one would expect charities be legally bound, there is no mechanism to discourage organizations from ignoring them. Charities are free to simply choose whether to obey the rules while being guaranteed tax exemptions.
This is because the social welfare department deems such regulations to be –citing a 2003 Public Consultation document – "unrealistic…[this would] incur substantial manpower.for government...[and] additional administrative costs and onerous bureaucratic requirements on fund-raisers."
Onerous perhaps, but such views miss the most salient point: that the hidden benefits of credibility arising from financial transparency and better administration are likely to far outweigh their visible costs.
The World Children's Fund is one such example, as attempting to unravel their spending history and asset multiplication claims are nearly impossible. No publicly available financial records exist for the organization, either with the welfare department or Inland Revenue. The Community Chest has never heard of them.
Speaking to the charity's office reveals only that their Hong Kong donations are "matched" by their branch in the US, although they could [or would] not explain the intricacies of this generosity. However, no charity under the World Children's Fund name exists in America, according to Charity Navigator, America's largest evaluation website. Although they could operate under a different name there, the Hong Kong office described this finding as "strange." The only global WCF financial record Asia Sentinel could find online was from the UK Charity Commission, where their accounts for the last two years are overdue. The 2004 records indicated a small deficit.
The Hong Kong arm of the charity's website is confusing, alternating unashamedly between a virtual shrine to its founder, Joseph Lam, and the sort of goal-driven rhetoric that would be in cozier context in a political election campaign.
World Children's Fund Hong Kong could very well do a lot of good, and maybe a donor's money really does double at some point. But there is no good way of knowing what this place does or how little Xiaoling benefits even after investing time talking with their office, reading their website, and checking with various government departments.
It is interesting to note that the Hong Kong government regulates quite tightly the activities of financial sector companies and individuals seeking funds from investors. But when it comes to the taxless flow of money from the rich to charities, it is all too inconvenient.
If people are going to give away the fruits of their toils, knowing how that money is spent is important. The less they know, the more open to fraud they will feel and the less they are likely to contribute to any but the best known charities.
It is likely that tightening the rules might make for looser wallets.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Struggling Rush Hour
This news from Forbes isn't really surprising to me. Among friends I talked to, many don't like Jacky Chan more than they loved him.Jackie Chan's new action comedy "Rush Hour 3" may have performed well at the U.S. box office, but it apparently hasn't clicked with his fellow Hong Kongers.
The movie has made only 4 million Hong Kong dollars ($512,000) in the five days since it opened in Hong Kong on Thursday, distributor Celestial Pictures said Tuesday.
By comparison, Chan's action comedy "Rob-B-Hood" made 6.3 million HK dollars in Hong Kong in its first three days last year, as did his 2005 action epic "The Myth."
"Rush Hour 3" meanwhile topped the U.S. box office in its opening weekend, making $49.1 million in the U.S. and Canada. In the two weeks since it opened, the movie has notched up nearly $88 million.
New Line Cinema's "Rush Hour" series, comedies that revolve around the racial and social differences between a pair of police officers - one Chinese (Chan) and the other black (Chris Tucker). The series has been critical in establishing Chan's reputation in Hollywood.
The first installment, "Rush Hour," released in 1998, was the first Chan movie to break the $100 million mark at the U.S. box office, earning more than $141 million, according to figures compiled by the box office tracking Web site Box Office Mojo.
Chan won't be able to test "Rush Hour 3" on the larger Chinese audience because the leading distributor in mainland China has decided not to import it. An executive at the state-run China Film Group said the company didn't think the film had a market in China.
Hollywood trade publication Variety, however, reported that Chinese officials were concerned about scenes that involve Chan and Tucker's characters battling Chinese gangsters.
Is it time to change his ways from the normally predictable movie roles?
Raging River Toilet
Ocean Park has a wild ride called Raging River. It is made up of a log shaped vehicle capable of carrying a few passengers while it slides through a man-made wild river. For visitors who have some calling from nature, this sign shows them relief. Or hesitance. Would you be doing your stuff near a river so wild that you could be swept away? Maybe it's still worth the risk.
I am sure Hong Kong residents are familiar with the logo. But what happens 
Balikbayan Box: The door-to-door dilemma
One of the things a typical Filipino in Hong Kong does is to pack items and send them to cities or provinces in the Philippines. These items can be of a wide variety, from bathroom soaps to baby diapers and from toothpaste from Mannings or dispensaries to stainless forks and spoons from IKEA or Japan Home. Sending a jumbo box load of goodies is a pride of every overseas Filipino worker (OFW) where recipients can be imagined showing off their "imported" gifts to neighbors and envious friends.Balikbayan box is the term used for boxes that contain imported items from abroad. Balikbayan is a term for Filipinos who go out of the Philippines and decide to come back in the future. Balik = Return. Bayan = Country. That's it.
In Central, and in any place frequented by Filipinas, Sundays are meant to be busy packing days for some Filipina domestic helpers are busy gathering their groceries and stuffing them into the big box. Stripe bags are often used as convenient containers of items whose fate are sealed and are bound for the Philippines in a few days time.
I used to be doing such practice. When my Filipino colleagues decided to go home for good in 2001, I decided to stay and instead pack some items to the Philippines for good. Flat irons, oversized jackets and anything deemed useful had to be placed in a box provided by Forex, a door-to-door company with office/warehouses scattered across Hong Kong and Kowloon. Alas, the jumbo box still have space to spare. I don't want to seal it and let it fly without filling it up. So I had to head to Japan Home and buy assorted stuff: hangers, chopping boards and no-frills batteries. Then I decide to add some stuff from ParkNShop such as luncheon meat or toothpaste sold in double boxes. The purpose of filling up of the box overwhelms the necessity of such items. I am sure they will appreciate but I didn't have to buy them in Hong Kong if they can be purchased easily at the corner of our neighborhood store.
But in some areas, the situation may be different. The sight of the jeepney carrying loads of boxes making a stop at a house is an auspicious sign. Neighbors gather around and see if there is anything inside the box that will end up in their hands. Chocolates for children, old clothing for the elders, things that easily make them smile.
It is also common to ask for a favor to pack something for a neighbor's family if two close friends are living as neighbors back in the Philippines. So the box becomes a sophisticated postman, capable of carrying huge amount of goodies guaranteed to generate excitement and smiles. And sometimes frustrations too (if the shoes don't fit or fragile cargoes break).
But is it worth doing it?
Time
You have to pickup the box from the shop located at strategic locations in Central, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Ma On Shan, Shatin or Kowloon City. Although they also deliver boxes right at your doorsteps at your request, sometimes delivery takes time or at unpredictable times of the day. Coming to these places to pick up the box takes time. A typical domestic helper in Hong Kong has eight to ten hours a week to spare to do all sorts of things such as make a call to loved ones, pay the bills, go to church, make some money remittance, meet a friend or sometimes queue for an OEC (to me it's another form of Philippine government scam). So if someone lives in the hinterlands where delivery boxes can't penetrate, considerable amount of time should be devoted just to pick up the box.
When the box is there, you spend time thinking what to put in, deciding what to put in, buying them, wrapping them and bring the box to the warehouse. Most of the time the last step is bypassed when a van is appointed to pickup the box. However, smaller packages such as the Bulilit Boxes (still heavy enough to be carried by someone) tend to be exempted from this convenience.
By the time the package is shipped, I bet around 20-26 hours was spent on all the steps mentioned.
Money
Why buy something in Hong Kong that you can buy easily in the Philippines? One of my neighbors back in Davao City tells me it's different if it comes from abroad, no matter how similar these items may be. The packaging says it's made in Malaysia and not in Hong Kong, so what's the point? It's like buying a book from Amazon and paying a few dollars more for delivery as opposed to buying it from Dymocks at Taikoo Place. Sometimes recipients don't even need them but are obliged to use them because they're afraid the sender might be disappointed if the gifts are unappreciated. Why not send money instead? The recipients know what they need more than we do. Of course it's not all the time they need the money instead of the balikbayan box contents. Items that are not available in the Philippines are exemptions, but they're not that much. How can I ask for something I don't even know or haven't seen yet?
Effort
I don't need to mention that a considerable amount of effort is necessary to make the balikbayan box delivery work. As they say it's not the effort but the end product of it. However, there are many things you can do to achieve the end product without doing the conventional laborous effort.
In the end, it all depends on OFWs. Balikbayan boxes are of great help to alleviate airline baggage load, pre-packed Christmas gifts and other reasons. However, it must be done with the thought of necessity, not just because someone did and coaxed you to doing so. It's an investment of love that must be thought of thoroughly.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Insurance scams: blinded by money
It's a terrible feeling to imagine while I was reading a news article about an insurance scam that involved poking or pouring something on somebody's eyes to make him blind so a claim can follow shortly.Victims often think that eyesight can be restored after a repair using the insurance money, with much more to spare at the bank account. And who wouldn't be tempted if the money is more than 8 million dollars? Nah, me. I am not tempted.
The arrestees included two serving and four former insurance agents, and a doctor.
The leader of a gang of scammers, Kwok Wah-cheong, had received HK$4.3 million in indemnity after a mainland doctor had blinded Liu Yuanming, 37, Liu only received HK$280,000.
Another suspect was arrested in line with a faked traffic accident. Gu Zhiyuan, 34, was blinded in the right eye in a bogus traffic accident in China and for which a lost Hong Kong ID card was used to prove his citizenship.
He received no money as the gang was arrested by the ICAC in June last year.
Perhaps Kwok knows a thing or two more than the others. He was formerly a former insurance agent with a previous conviction of a similar nature.
People are getting more creative -- and more conscienceless -- to come up with ideas that will earn them more money.
All it takes for the scam to work is a former insurance agents, a conspiring physician and a willing victim.
Good thing Kwok was sentenced to just four years and three months. He could well be charged with extortion and other related crimes.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Alright! They have food and drinks!
Fernando's in Macau is a great place to dine with its Mediterranean themed seafood and roasted chicken a must for a craving guest:From MyTravelGuide:
From the outside, this restaurant looks a bit like a hut overgrown with vines. Once inside though, the place extends out into a huge bungalow and an open-air bar. Although there is no air-conditioning, the beachfront location allows for a nice breeze, and ceiling fans are also constantly on to drive the heat out. The menu features plenty of Mediterranean-style seafood and meat dishes, and the stewed clams in wine sauce and roasted chicken are impressive. Drinks are kept chilled in bottle coolers. Very popular with locals and Hong Kong day-trippers, expect this place to be packed at weekends.
The food seems so delicious that they need not be dipped in ketchup. It's a cool place to stay. So cool it doesn't even have an airconditioning unit. Possibly a hater of baby's cries and complaints, it doesn't provide a baby chair because it has none.
Hong Kong population growth
Hong Kong recorded a population of 6,921,700 at mid-2007, representing an increase of 64,600, or 0.9 percent, over the same period of last year, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Census and Statistics Department.The increase comprises a natural increase of 28,800 from mid-2006 to mid-2007 and a net inflow of 35,800 residents from outside Hong Kong, a densely populated special administrative region of China, the Department said in a press release.
The natural increase is obtained by subtracting the death number of 37,400 from the number of the newborns of 66,200. The net movement figure of 35,800 is the difference between the number of inflows and that of outflows.
The inflows of holders of One-way Permit, which had been issued to immigrants from Chinese places other than Hong Kong, numbered 44,700, making them an important constituent of the overall population growth.
Hong Kong has set down a limit of 55,000 a year or under for the number of immigrants from other Chinese regions.
The latest population figure was released on a provisional basis as a routine and would be revised in six months from now.
The previously released provisional figure for Hong Kong population at the end of 2006 was revised to 6,909,500 and the growth rate from end-2005 to end-2006 was revised to one percent.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Calling of nature
During the time of SARS, Hong Kong people were paranoid of contracting virus from fellow citizens. When someone sneezes, everyone around him just makes an about face and displays an annoyed smirk if he doesn't wear any form of mask.The government made a push to clean up (now down, replaced by another clean campaign) the bad habits of littering, spitting (yes, Hong Kong people shouldn't come out clean and point an accusing finger to their Mainland relatives, some HK people spit everywhere too) and unhygienic practices.
Streets were regularly showered, cleansed and ads about Lap Sap Chung appear on television.
Therefore it is a big no no to do your stuff in public. And by "doing your thing", I mean urinating or defecating. The Tagalog translation is perfectly fine. Maybe the English equivalent is just a little discreet.
Wan Chai's unlocked iPhone store?
Apple's iPhone has gained popularity thanks in part to the worldwide phenomenon that put iPod in the spotlight over the years.An ardent lover of new product releases, Hong Kong is one of the first to catch the gadget craze outside of America.
Akihabara News shows a photo of a shop in Wan Chai, showing an offer to sell unlocked iPhones. "100% unlocked as the sign goes". Which means you can use it with your existing SIM card.
The statement adds,
So far there is no word on how or why the iPhone can be sold in Hong Kong, but reports out of that country say the high-class hackers and pirates are at it again. Oh and in case you were wondering, the iPhone is being sold at a discount there too.
Is this attempt to get a workaround of the existing model assisted by folks who do RnD (no, not research and development but receive and duplicate) over the other edge of the border?
For those who don't know yet, Akihabara (where the news source is named after) is best-known as one of the largest shopping areas on Earth for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items.
I am not a big techno-gadget fan so I leave it up to those who can't wait to get their sweaty palms on this device.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Need hair? We'll cut someone else's for you
This sign of a salon at an undisclosed location might have different motives compared to its competitors. Some of Hong Kong's shops appear running out of sensible business names and this one is an example. But if the sign literally means the post title, I won't be surprised. Hair loss blamed for rising divorce rate in Hong Kong.
I am not very good in English to pinpoint the funny signs but I think Hong Kong can do better with its few humor-laden signs, announcements, warnings and business names.
A Closer Look at Hong Kong's Mental Health Situation
According to the World Health Organization, Hong Kong's suicide rate is 16.7 males and 9.8 females per 100,000 population. The data extracted is outdated (1999) and whose numbers could be influenced by the Asian Financial crisis and the bird flu outbreak just before the turn of the new millennium.
It is interesting to know that past scientific research has shown that after media reports on a suicide case -- especially of someone famous -- not only does the number of suicides go up, but a majority of the people who kill themselves are the same sex as the celebrity and use similar methods. Examples cited were Hong Kong artist Leslie Cheung and Taiwanese entertainer Ni Min-jan, which (incidentally or not) led to a 55 percent increase in the number of people who unsuccessfully attempted suicide, with men outnumbering women by 2.6 times. It was found out that extensive coverage by the media (in the cases of Cheung and Ni in particular) had produced a mimic effect in the public.
According to Hong Kong University's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention,
One of the immediate measures is to conduct extensive screening and assessment on the mental status of students. Early identification of students with emotional distress is crucial in providing them with the immediate interventions and help.
Despite of the alarming suicide rates in the young adults age-group, it is the elderly that are more vulnerable to this cause of death. Suicide over the past 15 years in Hong Kong, is more serious among the elderly than in any other age group at a rate four to five times above the mean rate of the general population. The highest suicide risk groups are the older elderly (that is, those aged 75 or above), males and the unmarried elderly. This study indicates that factors such as poor health status and limited social support may be linked to the higher incidence of elderly suicide, and demonstrates that a supportive home environment and an active life style can help the elderly to cope with crisis situations.
The suicide ratio of economically inactive aged persons to economically active aged persons is 10 to 1. A job for an elderly person not only means earning a living; it provides an active life style, which improves psychological well-being. The provision of job opportunities and the establishment of community support services such as multi-service centres, in particular for the homeless and unmarried, can also help to promote an active lifestyle. A job keeps an elderly person's brain active in dealing with tasks and solving problems. Meahwhile, those who are idle and not creative enough nor given opportunities, will likely have more troubles than their employed counterparts.
Patients with mental disorders are sometimes discriminated in Hong Kong, which puts a big burden among those who suffer. This situation exists even if the government has an ordinance regarding mental health:
A good read relating to this problem is an editorial (PDF) by the Department of Psychiatry of Chinese University of Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital.
The number of highly qualified clinical psychologists in Hong Kong is greatly limited. Social workers in Hong Kong are heavily loaded with social assessments, arrangement of tangible benefits, mobilization of community resources, and statutory duties. They are haphazardly rotated in and out of psychiatric settings and lack specialized knowledge and skills.
Worse, I was told that there's no insurance coverage for mental health. Therefore, sufferers have little or no option to find assistance regarding their grievances.
Given the problem as described above, online support groups are almost nonexistent in Hong Kong. Support groups via the web could provide a boost in assisting these type of patients who may be stigmatized by the society.
Benita Chick has just established Hong Kong Mental Health Support Group to help fellow patients suffering ailments related to mental health.
It is ironic that when people encounter patients with mental health problems, they generally shun them away, but when a popular TV star confesses of suffering such disease, the interest grows. Therefore these personalities have become effective channels of reaching out to the public. Unfortunately, Leslie Cheung is dead.
It is interesting to know that past scientific research has shown that after media reports on a suicide case -- especially of someone famous -- not only does the number of suicides go up, but a majority of the people who kill themselves are the same sex as the celebrity and use similar methods. Examples cited were Hong Kong artist Leslie Cheung and Taiwanese entertainer Ni Min-jan, which (incidentally or not) led to a 55 percent increase in the number of people who unsuccessfully attempted suicide, with men outnumbering women by 2.6 times. It was found out that extensive coverage by the media (in the cases of Cheung and Ni in particular) had produced a mimic effect in the public.
According to Hong Kong University's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention,
Suicide is one leading cause of death for those aged 15 - 24 in Hong Kong. This age group also has the highest admission rate for attempted suicide at the Accident and Emergency Departments of the Hospital Authority. Reported prevalence rates for adolescent suicidal ideation in Hong Kong range from 20 - 42%. Our latest findings from a representative sample of 715 respondents show that 28.1% of youth aged 15 - 19 have experienced life time suicidal ideation. Hence, the problem of youth suicidality (sic) warrants attention.
One of the immediate measures is to conduct extensive screening and assessment on the mental status of students. Early identification of students with emotional distress is crucial in providing them with the immediate interventions and help.
Despite of the alarming suicide rates in the young adults age-group, it is the elderly that are more vulnerable to this cause of death. Suicide over the past 15 years in Hong Kong, is more serious among the elderly than in any other age group at a rate four to five times above the mean rate of the general population. The highest suicide risk groups are the older elderly (that is, those aged 75 or above), males and the unmarried elderly. This study indicates that factors such as poor health status and limited social support may be linked to the higher incidence of elderly suicide, and demonstrates that a supportive home environment and an active life style can help the elderly to cope with crisis situations.
The suicide ratio of economically inactive aged persons to economically active aged persons is 10 to 1. A job for an elderly person not only means earning a living; it provides an active life style, which improves psychological well-being. The provision of job opportunities and the establishment of community support services such as multi-service centres, in particular for the homeless and unmarried, can also help to promote an active lifestyle. A job keeps an elderly person's brain active in dealing with tasks and solving problems. Meahwhile, those who are idle and not creative enough nor given opportunities, will likely have more troubles than their employed counterparts.
Patients with mental disorders are sometimes discriminated in Hong Kong, which puts a big burden among those who suffer. This situation exists even if the government has an ordinance regarding mental health:
This Mental Health Ordinance sets out necessary legal safeguards for mentally incapacitated persons (MIPs). Mental Health Guardianship Board Rules under the Ordinance provide for the setting up of an independent Guardianship Board to
enforce guardianship provisions for MIPs aged 18 years or above. Guardians appointed by the Board may be empowered to make important decisions affecting the daily life of MIPs, including handling of funds for their maintenance and giving consent for medical treatment.
A good read relating to this problem is an editorial (PDF) by the Department of Psychiatry of Chinese University of Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital.
The number of highly qualified clinical psychologists in Hong Kong is greatly limited. Social workers in Hong Kong are heavily loaded with social assessments, arrangement of tangible benefits, mobilization of community resources, and statutory duties. They are haphazardly rotated in and out of psychiatric settings and lack specialized knowledge and skills.
Worse, I was told that there's no insurance coverage for mental health. Therefore, sufferers have little or no option to find assistance regarding their grievances.
Given the problem as described above, online support groups are almost nonexistent in Hong Kong. Support groups via the web could provide a boost in assisting these type of patients who may be stigmatized by the society.
Benita Chick has just established Hong Kong Mental Health Support Group to help fellow patients suffering ailments related to mental health.
It is ironic that when people encounter patients with mental health problems, they generally shun them away, but when a popular TV star confesses of suffering such disease, the interest grows. Therefore these personalities have become effective channels of reaching out to the public. Unfortunately, Leslie Cheung is dead.
March Boedihardjo: Hong Kong's Indonesian-Chinese pre-teen prodigy
A nine-year-old child prodigy recently applying to study mathematics at universities in Hong Kong has obviously been a challenge.
The Baptist University of Hong Kong said Thursday it had received part of March Boedihardjo's British A-level exam results and that it would make an elaborate decision upon receiving all the required documents.
March Boedihardjo (Sum See-kwan), an Indonesian Chinese born and raised in Hong Kong, applied to several universities and was awaiting the results of his A-Level exam and Advanced Extension Awards results.
March had studied for two years at a special school in England while his brother was taking a course at Oxford, the Standard newspaper reported.
Baptist University vice president Fan Yiu-kwan said Wednesday he was confident that the university had the resources to cope with a child prodigy, but declined to give a clear-cut answer on whether the university would accept the boy.
If admitted, March would become the youngest university student in Hong Kong.
A spokesperson said Thursday the university must be careful as to whether it was prepared in the academic as well as other spheres, given the boy's age.
Fan also said the university should be careful.
"If a university does not prepare well, it will affect the development of the child," he said Wednesday, adding that "not only universities but the whole of society should consider how to train gifted children."
The Hong Kong government had been showing its support for gifted education.
The Education Bureau said it had always strived to support and bring up gifted students with the concerted effort of the school and the higher education sectors.
Hong Kong launched the Support Measures for the Exceptionally Gifted Students Scheme in 2001. Since then, more than 6,000 gifted students have received training in various areas and taken home numerous medals in international competitions.
Ho Hoi-lam, a 14-year-old girl who scored eight "A"s in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination this year, was also a beneficiary of the scheme, a spokesman for the Education Bureau said Thursday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang also announced last year in his Policy Address the government's plan to establish an academy for gifted education.
March Boedihardjo is still not in the list of child prodigies but I guess it won't take long someone will add his name on the list.
The Baptist University of Hong Kong said Thursday it had received part of March Boedihardjo's British A-level exam results and that it would make an elaborate decision upon receiving all the required documents.
March Boedihardjo (Sum See-kwan), an Indonesian Chinese born and raised in Hong Kong, applied to several universities and was awaiting the results of his A-Level exam and Advanced Extension Awards results.
March had studied for two years at a special school in England while his brother was taking a course at Oxford, the Standard newspaper reported.
Baptist University vice president Fan Yiu-kwan said Wednesday he was confident that the university had the resources to cope with a child prodigy, but declined to give a clear-cut answer on whether the university would accept the boy.
If admitted, March would become the youngest university student in Hong Kong.
A spokesperson said Thursday the university must be careful as to whether it was prepared in the academic as well as other spheres, given the boy's age.
Fan also said the university should be careful.
"If a university does not prepare well, it will affect the development of the child," he said Wednesday, adding that "not only universities but the whole of society should consider how to train gifted children."
The Hong Kong government had been showing its support for gifted education.
The Education Bureau said it had always strived to support and bring up gifted students with the concerted effort of the school and the higher education sectors.
Hong Kong launched the Support Measures for the Exceptionally Gifted Students Scheme in 2001. Since then, more than 6,000 gifted students have received training in various areas and taken home numerous medals in international competitions.
Ho Hoi-lam, a 14-year-old girl who scored eight "A"s in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination this year, was also a beneficiary of the scheme, a spokesman for the Education Bureau said Thursday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang also announced last year in his Policy Address the government's plan to establish an academy for gifted education.
March Boedihardjo is still not in the list of child prodigies but I guess it won't take long someone will add his name on the list.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Wohoo! It's the second anniversary!
Oh, I just missed a date that marks an auspicious event of this blog.
August 13th marked the second year of existence of my journals online about living in Hong Kong, news about Hong Kong, ups and downs of existence here in the past few years. My first entry "Jusco Supermarket" hit the cyberspace on 13th of August 2005. It was shorter than most of my recent entries. This could mean I am more engrossed into writing stuff.
I guess after two years and 362 posts, I can still sustain to write more entries which I hope you will continue to read.
To regular readers and accidental visitors, thank you for coming and reading my posts. Thank you to those who sent me emails even if I was unable to attend to some of them. To those who quoted some entries here, thank you for the link love. Thanks as well to the feed subscribers and to those who provided their comments.
It's also good to hear some of you who suggested some topics. I will try to write about them, as long as I have made a "connection" between them, me and Hong Kong.
August 13th marked the second year of existence of my journals online about living in Hong Kong, news about Hong Kong, ups and downs of existence here in the past few years. My first entry "Jusco Supermarket" hit the cyberspace on 13th of August 2005. It was shorter than most of my recent entries. This could mean I am more engrossed into writing stuff.
I guess after two years and 362 posts, I can still sustain to write more entries which I hope you will continue to read.
To regular readers and accidental visitors, thank you for coming and reading my posts. Thank you to those who sent me emails even if I was unable to attend to some of them. To those who quoted some entries here, thank you for the link love. Thanks as well to the feed subscribers and to those who provided their comments.
It's also good to hear some of you who suggested some topics. I will try to write about them, as long as I have made a "connection" between them, me and Hong Kong.
If you can't pay them, don't hire them
I always feel sorry for some domestic helpers in Hong Kong, who are thought to be paid according to labor laws but aren't getting what they deserve. Worse, they are made to betray themselves by signing papers that they receive right wages despite getting substantially lower pay.These maids work almost 24/7. In fact, some of them really do.
In Canada, domestic helpers, often in disguise of a more respectable term, work at certain hours a day and observe their holidays religiously. And they are paid bigger sums of money to do comparably less amount workload.
Just like in any country in the world, there are always stupid Hong Kong employers who spend time buying luxuries, do away with gambling and other vices while taking their maids for granted. Some of them have their salaries deducted for the food they eat. As stay-in helpers, they deserve free food and accommodation. But these boneheads know nothing about respect.
Asian Migrant Center executive director Rex Varona said on Friday that the reason employers and agents can get away with this systematic extortion was because of the ineffective monitoring of Hong Kong's labor laws.
A study by Asian Migrant Center showed that Indonesian maids are losing out HK$36 million EVERY MONTH on unpaid salaries. Three in every five maids have to pay their entire salaries for the first seven or eight months to the agents who got them their jobs. That's a painful way to start a career as house helper for these homesick Indonesian fellows. I am a Filipino but I am making emphasis on Indonesians rather than the Filipinas who are dominant in Hong Kong domestic helper population. It is because I often hear, read and watch the news that abuse to Indonesian helpers is rampant.
Indonesians are nice, friendly people. I visited Jakarta and Jogjakarta exactly five years ago and met these wonderful people who share my race and language family.
I have high praises for the Philippine Consulate for its stand on the welfare of its workers in Hong Kong. Which is why I was inspired to write about reasons why you should get a Filipina domestic helper instead of other nationalities.
I am unsure how the Indonesian Consulate addressed this problem that makes their amah citizens a favorite scapegoat for some inept employers.
In releasing the report "Underpayment 2: The Continuing Systematic Extortion of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong," the center and the Coalition of Indonesian Migrants Workers Organization said a total of 2,097 Indonesian maids in Hong Kong were interviewed from September to December 2006 when the minimum wage for domestic helpers was HK$3,270.
Of these, 22 percent or 454 maids said they were being underpaid, with 253 getting between HK$2,000 and HK$2,499 and 130 getting less than HK$2,000 a month.
A total of 1,971 of those interviewed said they had signed receipts for their wages each month but 26 percent (512) did not receive the amount stated on the receipt.
The difference between the actual amount received and the amount printed on receipts ranged from HK$80 to HK$2,370 every month.
Varona said on average, each of these workers was missing out on HK$1,390 every month, making a total of HK$36 million each month.
The survey also found 59 percent of the maids interviewed paid their agents an average of HK$21,000 each, which means the first seven or eight months of hard-earned money went straight to agents.
One maid in every four also said she missed out on the four holidays each month.
Not only that. These helpers are sometimes accessory to the crime perpetuated by their employers.
So that's why these maids sometimes lose their minds and resort to some sort of weird activities.
Many of these maids perhaps aren't educated enough to know what they deserve to get and are therefore vulnerable to such abuses. But don't pin them down, they're fast learners of the Cantonese language and are hired instead of Filipinos because they solve the communication issue.
But it's enlightening to know that Filipinos have heart to help Indonesian newcomers. I just hope that the government will take a closer look at these lowest paid workers.
Can you imagine living in Hong Kong without them?
Hong Kong's police force is SAR's bright spot
From International Herald Tribune:
When Tang King-shing, Hong Kong's commissioner of police, graduated from police training school in the mid-1970s, there was a quaint British tradition here called "trooping the duck."
Its origins are a little obscure and had something to do with a temperamental drill sergeant and the quality of the police parades. But part of the ceremony involved kissing a live duck on the beak before formal dinners in the school's mess, an act that Tang, like all new inspectors, performed.
Recently, the commissioner was invited back to his old mess as a guest and discovered that this peculiar tradition from the days of British colonial rule persisted. But there was a difference.
"When they dined me in at the mess, they still trooped the duck," Tang said in an interview. "But it is now a plastic one because of the bird flu problem."
In the 10 years since the end of British rule, the Hong Kong Police Force has undergone some very visible changes, not least the dwindling number of foreigners in its ranks. But it is a Chinese police force that clings to an odd mix of British customs. Tang's police band still plays the bagpipes.
This combination of Chinese with distinctly British policing characteristics has been one of the keys to the undoubted success of the institution.
It has long been one of Hong Kong's great advertisements that law enforcement and the justice system can be counted on to be both effective and impartial. The 27,500-strong police force is widely regarded as one of the least corrupt and most professional in the world.
At the same time, the crime rate for such a large metropolitan area is very low by world standards. A city whose thriving film industry has won laurels for bloody crime thrillers, including the forerunner to the recent Hollywood hit "The Departed," had a murder rate one-tenth that of New York in 2005.
Other crime trends are equally benign. In 2005, Hong Kong recorded 1,137 overall cases of crime per 100,000 people. The comparable figure for New York was 2,675; in London it was a staggering 13,091.
The success of law enforcement here is often regarded as one of the most important legacies of British rule. At one time, the police force was steeped in British tradition and British methods of policing. Its senior ranks were dotted with foreign officers, almost all of whom were British. Two years before the return to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, there were 756 overseas officers in the force, accounting for about a third of the senior ranks.
But as part of the preparations for the handover, Hong Kong stopped hiring overseas officers in 1994 and began a process of localizing employment in law enforcement agencies.
When the "Royal" prefix was dropped from the title of the Hong Kong Police Force, some critics feared standards might slip too. There were also worries that Hong Kong could lose some of its independence in law enforcement to the mainland.
Expatriate police officers started to leave, creating a gap in some specialized skills. The number of foreign officers in the force is now down to about 250. That has certainly meant some changes to the way the force operates, say analysts, but the impact on the quality of policing has been relatively small.
"It used to be a British mind-set, now it is a Chinese mind-set," said Steve Vickers, a former senior superintendent who started his own risk consultancy in Hong Kong after 18 years in the police force.
He said that before 1997 police officers could work very independently on some sensitive cases, like undercover operations against organized crime gangs.
"Now it's very much top down," Vickers said. But he added, "It remains one of the most effective law enforcement agencies anywhere."
If public confidence is a yardstick of performance, the Hong Kong Police Force has been doing something right since the end of British rule.
A survey conducted this year by the University of Hong Kong shows that 80 percent of people here had a "very positive" or "quite positive" view of the police. Over the past 10 years, those holding a very positive view of the police rose to 20.1 percent from 4.7 percent.
By contrast, a survey of New Yorkers in 2001 found that 59 percent approved of the performance of the New York Police Department. Approval was especially low among ethnic minorities.
The popularity of the Hong Kong police is a big achievement for a force that until the mid-1970s was regarded as one of the most corrupt in Asia. The force that Tang, the commissioner, joined in 1976 had been implicated in everything from protection of prostitution and gambling to drug trafficking in alliance with organized crime.
Shock therapy was applied by the colonial government with the formation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1974, and dozens of police officers were prosecuted or dismissed.
The crackdown helped turn the Hong Kong Police Force into one of the world's cleanest. Complaints against the police continue to fall; allegations of misconduct made to the Independent Police Complaints Council are down by almost half since 2001.
Tang said Hong Kong's success reflected efforts to instill a service mentality and improve professionalism. Dial 999 for help, he said, and the police will usually arrive at the scene within three minutes.
He is also a strong believer in the longstanding policy of putting uniformed police officers on foot patrol. Having cops on the beat is an old-fashioned idea of law enforcement that has gone in and out of favor over the years as police forces around the world grapple with personnel cuts. Tang maintains that keeping police officers out on the street, where the public can see them and where officers can build closeness with their communities, is both effective in preventing crime and in early detection.
"We send a lot of uniformed policemen and women onto the streets, which might not be the same in other cities," Tang said. "You have an impact. We have more cases where criminals are caught red-handed."
He added that the benefits were also reflected in "the level of safety people feel in Hong Kong walking about on the street in daytime or the evening."
Still, the city does have policing problems. One is the growing trend of crime with links to the mainland, as more and more business people and tourists cross the border. Another is the intractable problem of Chinese organized-crime gangs, known as triads.
Tang said the growth in mainland-linked crime underscored the importance of deepening cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and with the police in major Chinese cities.
"That is a big challenge because you are talking about a trend that is increasing, and the potential for a further increase is huge," he said.
Although Tang has made the fight against the triads one of his priorities, analysts say the police need to do more to infiltrate and disrupt the gangs that control much of the illegal gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and extortion in southern China.
"I have to say that the triad influence at the top end of society has continued unfettered," said Vickers, the former senior superintendent, who headed some of the most effective operations against the gangs in the 1980s. "It is not out of control, but if not attended to it will become a major issue."
When Tang King-shing, Hong Kong's commissioner of police, graduated from police training school in the mid-1970s, there was a quaint British tradition here called "trooping the duck."Its origins are a little obscure and had something to do with a temperamental drill sergeant and the quality of the police parades. But part of the ceremony involved kissing a live duck on the beak before formal dinners in the school's mess, an act that Tang, like all new inspectors, performed.
Recently, the commissioner was invited back to his old mess as a guest and discovered that this peculiar tradition from the days of British colonial rule persisted. But there was a difference.
"When they dined me in at the mess, they still trooped the duck," Tang said in an interview. "But it is now a plastic one because of the bird flu problem."
In the 10 years since the end of British rule, the Hong Kong Police Force has undergone some very visible changes, not least the dwindling number of foreigners in its ranks. But it is a Chinese police force that clings to an odd mix of British customs. Tang's police band still plays the bagpipes.
This combination of Chinese with distinctly British policing characteristics has been one of the keys to the undoubted success of the institution.
It has long been one of Hong Kong's great advertisements that law enforcement and the justice system can be counted on to be both effective and impartial. The 27,500-strong police force is widely regarded as one of the least corrupt and most professional in the world.
At the same time, the crime rate for such a large metropolitan area is very low by world standards. A city whose thriving film industry has won laurels for bloody crime thrillers, including the forerunner to the recent Hollywood hit "The Departed," had a murder rate one-tenth that of New York in 2005.
Other crime trends are equally benign. In 2005, Hong Kong recorded 1,137 overall cases of crime per 100,000 people. The comparable figure for New York was 2,675; in London it was a staggering 13,091.
The success of law enforcement here is often regarded as one of the most important legacies of British rule. At one time, the police force was steeped in British tradition and British methods of policing. Its senior ranks were dotted with foreign officers, almost all of whom were British. Two years before the return to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, there were 756 overseas officers in the force, accounting for about a third of the senior ranks.
But as part of the preparations for the handover, Hong Kong stopped hiring overseas officers in 1994 and began a process of localizing employment in law enforcement agencies.
When the "Royal" prefix was dropped from the title of the Hong Kong Police Force, some critics feared standards might slip too. There were also worries that Hong Kong could lose some of its independence in law enforcement to the mainland.
Expatriate police officers started to leave, creating a gap in some specialized skills. The number of foreign officers in the force is now down to about 250. That has certainly meant some changes to the way the force operates, say analysts, but the impact on the quality of policing has been relatively small.
"It used to be a British mind-set, now it is a Chinese mind-set," said Steve Vickers, a former senior superintendent who started his own risk consultancy in Hong Kong after 18 years in the police force.
He said that before 1997 police officers could work very independently on some sensitive cases, like undercover operations against organized crime gangs.
"Now it's very much top down," Vickers said. But he added, "It remains one of the most effective law enforcement agencies anywhere."
If public confidence is a yardstick of performance, the Hong Kong Police Force has been doing something right since the end of British rule.
A survey conducted this year by the University of Hong Kong shows that 80 percent of people here had a "very positive" or "quite positive" view of the police. Over the past 10 years, those holding a very positive view of the police rose to 20.1 percent from 4.7 percent.
By contrast, a survey of New Yorkers in 2001 found that 59 percent approved of the performance of the New York Police Department. Approval was especially low among ethnic minorities.
The popularity of the Hong Kong police is a big achievement for a force that until the mid-1970s was regarded as one of the most corrupt in Asia. The force that Tang, the commissioner, joined in 1976 had been implicated in everything from protection of prostitution and gambling to drug trafficking in alliance with organized crime.
Shock therapy was applied by the colonial government with the formation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1974, and dozens of police officers were prosecuted or dismissed.
The crackdown helped turn the Hong Kong Police Force into one of the world's cleanest. Complaints against the police continue to fall; allegations of misconduct made to the Independent Police Complaints Council are down by almost half since 2001.
Tang said Hong Kong's success reflected efforts to instill a service mentality and improve professionalism. Dial 999 for help, he said, and the police will usually arrive at the scene within three minutes.
He is also a strong believer in the longstanding policy of putting uniformed police officers on foot patrol. Having cops on the beat is an old-fashioned idea of law enforcement that has gone in and out of favor over the years as police forces around the world grapple with personnel cuts. Tang maintains that keeping police officers out on the street, where the public can see them and where officers can build closeness with their communities, is both effective in preventing crime and in early detection.
"We send a lot of uniformed policemen and women onto the streets, which might not be the same in other cities," Tang said. "You have an impact. We have more cases where criminals are caught red-handed."
He added that the benefits were also reflected in "the level of safety people feel in Hong Kong walking about on the street in daytime or the evening."
Still, the city does have policing problems. One is the growing trend of crime with links to the mainland, as more and more business people and tourists cross the border. Another is the intractable problem of Chinese organized-crime gangs, known as triads.
Tang said the growth in mainland-linked crime underscored the importance of deepening cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and with the police in major Chinese cities.
"That is a big challenge because you are talking about a trend that is increasing, and the potential for a further increase is huge," he said.
Although Tang has made the fight against the triads one of his priorities, analysts say the police need to do more to infiltrate and disrupt the gangs that control much of the illegal gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and extortion in southern China.
"I have to say that the triad influence at the top end of society has continued unfettered," said Vickers, the former senior superintendent, who headed some of the most effective operations against the gangs in the 1980s. "It is not out of control, but if not attended to it will become a major issue."
Friday, August 17, 2007
China's toy recall and McDonald's Happy Meal toys
The recall of millions of toys involving Mattel and its Chinese partner has already cost the life of a disgraced company manager, but probably more lives could be lost if the sale continued. The recalled toys include characters from Barbie, Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo, and Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer.
The manager who committed suicide Saturday was Zhang Shuhong, whose company owned a mainland toy factory implicated in Mattel's recent recall of toys. His local (Hong Kong) name is Cheung Shu-hung and as his company, Lee Der, is actually based in Hong Kong. At the company's address on Des Voeux Road West, as it is listed by the Companies Registry, there was no sign identifying the unit as Lee Der's headquarters. A factory manager said the middle-aged Zhang was single and treated his workers well.
Even Senator Hillary Clinton said of the recall: "I don't want to eat bad food from China or have my children having toys that are going to get them sick."
Some claim Zhang was merely the scapegoat for a wider problem of quality control that can be traced to unscrupulous raw material suppliers and corrupt government officials.
Workers said the source of the paint supplied for the toys should also be investigated.
"He was a well-respected manufacturer, and someone was just victimizing him," said Lawrence Chan Wing-lun, vice president of the International Council of Toy Industries, which promotes toy safety standards. "I don't believe that any manufacturer would make unsafe toys on purpose just to make money. Something just went wrong."
Of the company's 5,000 employees, 200 had worked for Zhang since the company was founded more than a decade ago. Workers said on the day of his suicide, Zhang visited all three of Lee Der's subsidiary companies, chatting to employees.
China isn't new to this kind of product safety lapse. There were similar issues with dog food and toothpaste coming in from China.
What could the impact be for other shops that use toys to attract younger patrons such as Wellcome's Cat and Dog sticker promotion or McDonald's Happy Meal collection? I think parents will have reservations in getting their kids' hands touch these stuff that may contain larger than prescribed amounts of lead and other harmful ingredients.
Before that plastic Happy Meal toy gets into the sticky fingers of a 3-year-old, it must pass a gantlet of tests and inspections worthy of more dangerous items such as chain saws and motorcycle helmets. Nobody knows better than fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. how important customer trust is and how quickly it can be eroded.
Which reminds me of "Supersize Me" movie.
Since parents are never really exposed to the testing process they are unaware if the toys their children are craving every time they visit shops are safe enough.
I wonder what will the effect be in shops in Wan Chai and Mong Kok that specialize in toys or big-brand names like Toys "Я" Us in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. Do they think of massive discounts to attract less health conscious parents to buy these toys before the school season begins?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Gwen Stefani in Hong Kong
Gwen Stefani is performing tonight here at AsiaWorld-Expo.
This time I am not watching, but my colleague Calvin will be. I am not much into her current music, although I am a fan of No Doubt a decade ago.
My favorite No Doubt songs are "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning" and "Spide". Her brother Eric used to be the keyboardist but left the band to pursue his career with the animation of The Simpsons.
Gwen is married to Gavin Rossdale of the band Bush, one of my favorites in the grunge years of the 90s.
I'll check out what Calvin has to say the next day.
This time I am not watching, but my colleague Calvin will be. I am not much into her current music, although I am a fan of No Doubt a decade ago.
My favorite No Doubt songs are "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning" and "Spide". Her brother Eric used to be the keyboardist but left the band to pursue his career with the animation of The Simpsons.
Gwen is married to Gavin Rossdale of the band Bush, one of my favorites in the grunge years of the 90s.
I'll check out what Calvin has to say the next day.
I'm Lovin' It? McDonald's unending trend of negative publicity
"I'm Lovin' It"? Certainly not. McDonald's, the company questioned for its food nutrition, is now under a new controversy.The head of McDonald's Hong Kong branch has been arrested for allegedly accepting bribes from food suppliers in return for using their products, local newspapers reported Tuesday.
According to the Ming Pao Daily News, the Big Mac's managing director in Hong Kong Joseph Lau has been arrested by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption for taking bribes from food suppliers and then using their products. Other media however say the fast food company reports Lau is on leave.
He was the managing director of McDonald's in the Philippines for three years before taking up the top post in Hong Kong in May 2004. Lau also spent 10 years expanding McDonald's business on mainland China.
McDonald's Hong Kong declined to confirm the arrest of managing director Joseph Lau. It said in a statement that Lau is on leave, and wouldn't immediately say if Lau was suspended or had taken leave voluntarily.
Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News said anti-graft officials arrested Lau last week. Apple Daily said McDonald's suspended Lau pending investigation.
Hong Kong's anti-graft agency, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, arrested 27 people for alleged bribery over food supplies to restaurants last week. It declined to say if Lau was among them.
If charged and convicted of bribery, Lau faces a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a fine of HK$500,000 (US$63,930; €47,110).
Lau joined McDonald's in Los Angeles in 1983, according to an earlier press release on the company's Web site.
McDonald's, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, operates more than 200 restaurants and employs more than 10,000 people in Hong Kong , according to its Web site.
Any publicity is good publicity is good, many would say. But can McDonald's afford this one?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)