Hong Kong Sojourn

Lost In Translation

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Many women in Hong Kong wear t-shirts and blouses with English slogans printed on the front. I am not sure they are entirely aware of the meaning these slogans might communicate; in some cases I am not quite sure what they mean. Here are a few of my favorites:

“The Plane Circled Over the Park”

“Take One More Glance”

“Show Me Fantasy”

“What Do You Think”

“Feeling the Sense of Aroma”

“Relax, Don’t Do It”

“I’m Really Really Pleased”

“Drink Till You Want Me”

“I Lost My Puppy Dog”

“Poppin’ Bottles With Models” (a male pedestrian)

“Just Do Me”

“If You Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine”

“Everything You Thought Would Happy Will Never Happen”

“I Am So Lost In Your Love”

“Do You Love Someone Like Me”

ART HK 2011

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Pics from the recent international art show in Hong Kong

Managerial Oppression

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Hong Kong is a great place to live, if you have money, and it is a great place to visit, but it is a tough place to be a worker.
There is a lot of competition for jobs, people work long hours, and most are very dissatisfied with their supervisors and under enormous job-related stress.

On May 1st the HK government finally established a minimum wage which guarantees at least HK$5824 a month which translates into about US$750.

Though a minor concession, employers here have already started to devise ways to reduce the impact on their profit margins. In the most recent case, one employer is deducting wages for toilet breaks to offset the minimum wage.

The fact that there is a set amount of time for toilet breaks is further evidence of the situation many workers face.

Shanghai (by train)

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:11:00 +0000

Shanghai, a city of 23 million, is on the cusp of becoming the premier global city.

I traveled there from Hong Kong by train as a way to see more of the Chinese landscape and maybe have a bit more adventure.

My sleeper -- 4 to a compartment.

The landscape

Shanghai Train Station

The Peace Hotel in Shanghai -- stayed here 27 years ago with my father. It is a different country today.

Magnificent lobby of Peace Hotel.

The Bund that runs along the west bank of the Huangpu River

The Bund by night

Pudong -- the newly developed area on the east bank of the river. Nothing there but farmland when I visited Shanghai in 1984.

Pudong by night.

China flag flying over the Bund.

A model of the city including present and future construction and infrastructure at the Urban Planning Museum.

The popular XinTianDi district in the French Concession area -- plenty of cafes, restaurants, and stores catering to tourists.

In an old reconstructed shikumen building in XinTianDi.

Tianzifang -- a massive complex of shikumen buildings now home to bars, cafes, craft shops, studios, galleries, and boutiques. It is also an artist community. One of the true highlights of Shanghai.

The floating teahouse in the Old City.

Hong Kong Sevens

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:53:00 +0000

A cocktail and costume party masquerading as a rugby tournament

The infamous South Stands -- no children allowed!

Post-tourney street party

"Lunch Is For Wimps"

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Or at least that was Gordon Gekko's view in the film Wall Street.

In Hong Kong, however, there is no such sentiment; going out for lunch is a sacred ritual. Stockbrokers here are accustomed to a long and leisurely two hour lunch starting at the magic moment of 12:30.

All that changed yesterday. Under new rules designed to bring the Hong Kong bourse more in line with trading hours of the global economy, lunch will start at 12 noon and end at 1:30. Next March it will be reduced to one hour.

Not everyone is happy with the changes. As one broker was quoted: "Chinese people take meals very seriously. While the Westerners can have sandwiches every day, we want soup and several cooked dishes to share. Shorter lunches aren't good for the health of staff and customers."

Surplus Illegitimacy

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:49:00 +0000

We all know how budget deficits can generate social conflict. Well, in Hong Kong the government has managed to create mass political discontent over a budget surplus. In Hong Kong, the original projection of a budget deficit was slightly off the mark. Instead, Hong Kong is sitting on a massive budget surplus (largely due to the sale of inflated property) of $71.3 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$ 9.15 billion).

Rather than formulate some long-term policies to address the many social problems facing Hong Kong( inequality, housing, education) the government decided to just hand out one-time cash transfers for various purposes, and hold the bulk for a "rainy day". This satisfied no one.

One "scheme" (this is the term they use instead of "plan" making people from the US very suspicious)involved placing HK$6000 into each pension account. The population responded to this with a collective middle-finger. How will this benefit us now and why are we providing a windfall to investment managers? This scheme was so unpopular that the Budget secretary, who is now vilified, did an about face and said he would simply give every HK resident HK$6000 cash directly. Rather than appease the population, this just made people more angry and disgusted with the lack of vision and planning and transparent attempt to buy off discontent.

This all culminated in a mass protest today. Pictures below.

Several other groups were also engaging in political action in proximity to the larger rally. This group was protesting against the bear bile industry that extracts bile from Asiatic black bears for Chinese medicinal purposes. The bears are held in small cages and it is regarded as a form of animal cruelty.

The large population of migrant domestic workers, primarily Filipino, and the compensation levels and immigration rules, is also a significant social issue in Hong Kong.

One of the great things about participating in protest marches in Hong Kong - you can always pop into a Gucci store to pick up an item or two.

One Country or Two Systems?

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:56:00 +0000

As far as I know, there is no place in the world where a country has jurisdiction over two diametrically opposed political economic systems. The "one country, two systems" model that accommodates the Special Administrative Region (SAR)of Hong Kong post-1997 handover from the UK, is unique and fascinating. Not surprisingly, Beijing emphasizes "one country" and Hong Kong emphasizes "two systems". The latter permits HK to allow largely unrestricted political and economic freedom for its SAR citizens, while in mainland China there is one party rule and sharp restrictions on political freedom and expression.

It seems that Beijing is becoming concerned with the relative autonomy of Hong Kong and the perceived allegiance of the population, particularly the younger generation.

The Chinese Vice President told SAR officials that they should not put "two systems" before "one country". And another party official said "I would particularly raise the issue of national education for Hong Kong youth. This matter is very serious and very urgent now."

The arrangement that China made with Britain to allow HK to retain its separate system, expires in 2047. What will happen then?

Elvis!

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:48:00 +0000

Costello

Hong Kong Political Economy, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:46:00 +0000

On the Heritage Foundation 2011 Index of Economic Freedom, Hong Kong is ranked number 1 as a result of low or non-existent taxation and minimal government intervention. Not surprisingly, therefore, Hong Kong is also number 1 in income inequality among developed nations (Singapore is 2nd and the USA is 3rd). Only this year has Hong Kong finally established a minimum wage.

The area where the inequality is most severely manifested is in housing. Hong Kong is the most expensive place to live in the world. Land is owned by the government and the sale of land to real estate conglomerates is the primary source of Hong Kong revenue. Very few people can afford to buy an apartment/flat and what is available is overpriced and undersized. Since government revenue is derived from the sale and leasing of land and property, the government has an interest in keeping prices inflated and steadily rising. This is one sphere where there is very little free market competition.

In "Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong" Alice Poon writes: "Our government seems to have more interest in the revenue it earns from land than any regard for the social repercussions of large groups hoarding this scarce and precious resource. This resource has enriched the few large groups so much that they have practically become the ruling class of Hong Kong....Acute concentration in the hands of the economic lords has divided society into a wealthy oligarchy and a poor, struggling-for-survival majority."

One of the stark indicators of this social crisis is the existence of "cage homes".

More with photos here.

Colorism in Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:32:00 +0000

Walking around Hong Kong past the endless barrage of commercial advertisements and through shopping malls it is hard to avoid noticing very light skinned faces on the ads and an inordinately large number of cosmetics shops emphasizing whitening solutions. While cosmetic surgery has not taken off in Hong Kong, as far as I can tell, skin whitening is a growth industry .

As this trade story indicates, "The skin-whitening market in Asia has been growing steadily since the early 1970s and shows no sign of abating. Worth a reported US$18 billion in Asia alone, the sector offers immense commercial opportunities, with many of the world’s leading cosmetic companies launching products specifically designed to cater for Asian consumers."

And I thought women carried those umbrellas during the summer to protect themselves from skin cancer.

More on the phenomenon here.

Thin Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 06:24:00 +0000

There are no (large) obese people in Hong Kong.

This may sound like a gross overgeneralization but after living here and spending a great deal of time on the streets and in the public transportation system I can make the claim with a great deal of confidence. That is, I never see any US-style grossly obese people in Hong Kong, and very few that I would even describe as “chubby”. The only time I spot someone who is significantly overweight, they turn out to be a Westerner from the US or the UK.

Assuming I do not have a biased sample (obese people are less likely to walk outside, use public transportation, etc), what is the explanation for Thin Hong Kong?

It is not due to a lack of eating. I have commented on the lunch ritual that entails almost every working person going out to lunch at the strike of 12:30 for at least one hour. It has also been observed that Hong Kong residents eat out in restaurants more often than any other population in the world. There is always a queue at the lunch and dinner hours at most restaurants.

So, it must be due to genetics, diet, exercise or likely some combination of these.

On the genetics front: Since there is a massive literature emerging on rising obesity levels in China (see the book, Fat China), and Hong Kong, thin is not an inevitable genetic fate but there does seem to be evidence that obesity in the Chinese takes a different body form than it does in the US. And if obesity is rising in Hong Kong, the phrase “it’s all relative” must be applied as the US is light years ahead on gross national girth.

Diet has always been regarded as a major source of Chinese health. The menu here is heavy on soup, vegetables, fish, chicken, pork, along with rice and soybean. When people eat out they have thousands of restaurants to choose from and these are small and medium size operations that are located everywhere in Hong Kong serving traditional Cantonese fare. People tend to share dishes rather than consume a single entry solo. While fast food is available, it is not on every street corner and it does not seem to be as widely consumed. People drink tea rather than soda. However, there are a large number of bakeries selling various buns and deserts.
In terms of exercise, though people eat out a lot, they will likely have to walk some distance to get to the restaurant. Hong Kongers do a lot of walking to bus stops, public transportation stations, etc. Most people do not drive or own cars. I believe the walking culture is a major contributor to the relatively lean population.

As noted, all of this may be changing as Western dietary habits and less physical activity, along with greater stress, creep into the lifestyle. It seems that in China it takes less increased obesity to produce correspondingly high increases in diabetes. Diabetes in China has now reached epidemic levels.

Chinese New Year: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:52:00 +0000

In Lan Kwai Fong

Fireworks over Victoria Harbor

Chinese New Year

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:27:00 +0000

February 3rd marks the start of the Chinese New Year -- the year of the rabbit.
Victoria Park in Hong Kong has an annual fair with booths selling items from the sacred to the profane.

Not sure what this has to do with the Chinese New Year tradition.

Why I Am Here

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:11:00 +0000

The New York Times had a piece a couple days ago about the General Education reform in Hong Kong. It points to some of the challenges universities will face when the 4-year curriculum is rolled out for students in 2012 -- physical space and human staffing with the entry of the dreaded "double cohort".

As a sociologist I am also studying the many organizational contradictions and tensions that the reform will generate. It has been a form of participant observation. Every day brings a new discovery of a ripple effect or unintended/unanticipated consequence.

Tokyo Excursion

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Tokyo Tower

Conveyor Belt Sushi

Don't feed the pigeons or they will crap on your clothes.

Pachinko Parlor

The Japanese like to play dress-up and role-play in public places. Unfortunately, the "loligoths" (Lolita-Gothics) were not out in force on this very cold day.

Every toilet in Japan has these options.

Japanese Hotpot

Yuto!

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Hong Kong is not known for its music scene, but I have caught a few good concerts here (Stanley Jordan, David Sanborn, Elvis Costello coming in March). One of the most interesting was at the hip/alternative/artsy Fringe Club featuring Japanese guitar wunderkind Yuto Miyazawa. He is 10 years old and officially the youngest professional guitar player in history. He plays hard rock/heavy metal covers (e.g. "Crazy Train", "Freebird") and he is truly phenomenal. He is so small he has to stand on a platform to give himself the prominence he deserves.

Tele-Urinal

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:52:00 +0000

The urinal trough at the Manchester United Restaurant Bar.

Lan Kwai Fong

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:41:00 +0000

If you are a Westerner (aka gweilo)in Hong Kong the locals will tell you that you must go to Lan Kwai Fong, the bar/pub/lounge district on Hong Kong island. It is not bad advice. When my daughters -- Katy and Anna -- were visiting over the Christmas holiday they developed a great fondness for this neighborhood. This posting is in their honor and I hope it will rekindle fond memories.

Katy and Anna's favorite watering hole.

Interesting Places to Have a Drink

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:18:00 +0000

Hong Kong has many interesting pubs, bars, and lounges though Hong Kongers are not big drinkers. One of the most interesting in terms of decor is The Dada Bar and Lounge on Kowloon side. I finally had a chance to visit when my family was in Hong Kong for the holidays.

The Port

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:51:00 +0000

When I am not working on GE issues and giving workshops on teaching and learning, I try to sustain my research project on ports, supply chains, and inter-modal logistics/labor. Hong Kong, as the second largest port in the world (though probably not for long), is a natural place to study such things. I was able to get a private tour of Modern Terminals Ltd in Hong Kong. The port district in Hong Kong is about the size of Dames Point/Tra-Pac/Mitsui in Jaxport, times 100.

Hong Kong has benefited, historically, from serving as the "middleman" between China and the rest of the world. Southern China/The Pearl River Delta/Guangdong Province, where most everything we consume in the U.S. is produced, sits alongside of Hong Kong. But as China becomes blatantly capitalist, and starts developing its own ports and logistics sector, Hong Kong will have to develop some new niche strategies. The Chinese government, and Guangdong Province, has also mandated significant and regular increases in the minimum wage (it would be nice if we would do the same in the U.S.) which will raise labor costs and impact the future of labor intensive manufacturing in Southern China.

These developments will impact not just Hong Kong but the entire global economy.

Control room monitor tracking the movement of every shipping container

India

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:28:00 +0000

Visited three colleges/universities in southern India in my role as a Fulbright and conducted faculty development workshops. The institutions were located in three cities -- Madurai, Chennai, and Bangalore.

Streets of Chennai

Faculty at Lady Doak College, Madurai

With students at Lady Doak College

The temple in Madurai

Beijing

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:23:00 +0000

Victoria Prison as Cultural Arts Center

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 07:06:00 +0000

Victoria Prison, built in 1841,lies in the center of the Central district on Hong Kong Island. It was closed in 2005. It is now used for an annual art event known as deTour. It is amazing that it has not yet been swallowed up by the insatiable real estate developers and speculators in Hong Kong.

Christmas Displays in HK

noreply@blogger.com (David Jaffee) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 06:52:00 +0000

They take the holiday very seriously here....and with a mega-mall on every other corner you can understand why.