Living In Hong Kong

Asian Correspondent Now Live

2009-10-19T13:28:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/author/ecagape";As mentioned a few weeks ago, I am now writing for Asian Correspondent and has written two articles (Hong Kong mobile phone love affair and Hong Kong Pinoys' help to Philippine typhoon victims).I do hope you'll still continue reading the updates I write, which will still be the same as I wrote here at Living in Hong Kong.You can

24-Hour Itinerary Guide to Hong Kong

2009-10-16T11:50:00.004+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/24-hour-itinerary-guide-to-hong-kong.html";Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps. And if you are given only 24 hours to tour the city, then you should never sleep to accomplish it. Of course you'd want a longer one but sometimes time doesn't permit. Your Hong Kong travel will then be rewarded with impressive experiences, stories and

Making Staircases More Attractive To Use

2009-10-13T20:58:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/making-staircases-more-attractive-to.html";Another shot at MTR stations and places where staircases are placed in parallel with each other. Have you noticed that even when escalators are a bit out of the way on MTR stations, people usually won't mind getting that extra step just to be able to use them? The obvious reason is that

MTR Announcements: We Can Memorize Them All

2009-10-13T14:32:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/mtr-announcements-we-can-memorize-them.html";Think about it, when you're at the MTR all the announcements on broadcast are predictable. Sometimes they are annoying that they're no longer effective the more you hear them. Unlike airport announcements that have real purpose (delayed flights, changed baggage claims, lost passengers), MTR

Teenage Prostitution: Selling Sex for Shopping Money

2009-10-13T12:45:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/teenage-prostitution-selling-sex-for.html";A news story at CNN on teenage prostitution sounds shocking to some, but in Hong Kong this news is often heard on TV newscast or read in newspapers. It is a growing phenomenon about teenage girls involved in prostitution and using the money they earn to buy luxury items like luxury shoes or

Dony and Ami: Mistaken Identity of East Asian Games Mascots

2009-10-12T09:27:00.008+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/dony-and-ami-mistaken-identity-of-east.html";If someone asks you how do you describe Dony and Ami, the official mascots of the East Asian Games Hong Kong, what comes to your mind first?White vegetables? Octopuses? A pair of hairy teeth? If you find it difficult to determine, you're not alone. And it's not only that. Even if you

Complaints About MTR? Look Elsewhere First

2009-10-11T21:17:00.004+08:00

I know it's sometimes a pain to take the MTR with all the noise, crowding, peeping toms, toilets (or lack thereof) and other things that can be improved in our opinion. But while we see these flaws presented to us during our rush hour or late-night trips, we should still consider ourselves blessed with an efficient, on-time and clean subway station.Okay, there may be unforgettable experiences

CNNGo's Survey Shows Hong Kong is World's Greatest City

2009-10-10T18:03:00.006+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/cnngos-survey-shows-hong-kong-is-worlds.html";CNNGo, a shopping, travel and lifestyle guide for Asia conducted an informal online survey asking the public which city is the greatest in the world.I guess the poll closed yesterday and so far Hong Kong was the choice for 19% of voters while 13% voted for Singapore. Bangkok had 9% and New

Hong Kong Law Allows Asylum Seekers To Work

2009-10-10T09:36:00.004+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/hong-kong-law-allows-asylum-seekers-to.html";To some it sounds fair, but to others it's a loophole in the law. Illegal immigrants in Hong Kong seeking asylum in Hong Kong are free to work in the city without getting jailed. The Court of First Instance affirmed last March that any illegal immigrant seeking asylum in Hong Kong are

My First Hong Kong Jockey Club Experience

2009-10-08T10:50:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/my-first-hong-kong-jockey-club.html";No, this doesn't refer to my first bet at Mark Six. Upon winning a Web Award for a luxury property agency, I got invited to a race day buffet dinner at Hong Kong Jockey Club with Belle and the rest of BeansBox. That's the time I got a closer look at the city's horseracing industry for the first

Donation Tax to Help Typhoon Ondoy Victims?

2009-10-07T08:12:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/donation-tax-to-help-typhoon-ondoy.html";Filipinos in Hong Kong were able to donate more tan 50 boxes of relief goods as donation to victims of typhoon Ondoy that killed more than 240 people, destroyed billions worth of properties, created a stir online on insensivity and prompted international aid from agencies and various country (

Asia's World City? Take A Look At Our Street Names!

2009-10-04T19:00:00.014+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/asias-world-city-take-look-at-our.html";Hong Kong doesn't just say that it's a world city; it also does it. And when I say do it, it's not just advertise on buses with big faces of seven young happy people. It's also permanently etched on our street markers.Photo credits: Yeowatzup, John SY Lee, manu_hk, bronney, eastecho, purplespace

28 Signs That You Are A Filipino in Hong Kong

2009-10-03T20:32:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/28-signs-that-you-are-filipino-in-hong.html";1. You choose between LBC, AFreight, Genex and Focus as your official door-to-door balikbayan box.2. You ask your newly found friend what's her phone network; if you share the same one, you are both in for extended "heart-to-heart" phone conversations.3. You tell your friends to meet up at

Standard Chartered Bank $150 Notes A Money Losing Business

2009-10-03T08:17:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/standard-chartered-bank-150-notes-money.html";For people who make business of every commemorative issue of stamp, toys, ticket, paper bill or anything that qualifies as collectible, the recent experience with the overhyped first 150 dollar bill in the world from Standard Chartered Bank should teach a valuable lesson: not everything

No Longer Loving It: McDonald's Price Hikes

2009-10-03T07:43:00.004+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/no-longer-loving-it-mcdonalds-price.html";If staring at giant quarter pounder photos in buses make you feel like rushing to a nearest McDonald's outlet, then this is bad news for you.Price of McDonald's menu items will rise by about 50 cents max in a few weeks time. Sounds reasonable now that the consumer price index for beef products

Hong Kong Post's Unsubscribe Mail Feature

2009-10-01T07:25:00.003+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/10/hong-kong-posts-unsubscribe-mail.html";How many letters do you receive from your mail box on a daily or weekly basis? Do I hear two daily? Seventeen weekly? How many of them are deemed essential and how many are unnecessary (otherwise known as spam in email lingo)?In the past, receiving letters bring excitement. Receiving letter from

Maid in China: Mainland Helpers Coming Soon?

2009-09-30T07:06:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/maid-in-china-mainland-helpers-coming.html";It's not surprising that domestic helpers hit the headlines of Hong Kong's prominent papers (Indonesian lacing milk with bleach or Filipina killing her employer). Reasons behind these newsmakers include abuse of authority or incompetence. In the case of Filipinos, it's also about

Indecent Assault in Hong Kong

2009-09-29T07:53:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/indecent-assault-in-hong-kong.html";There are reports that more and more women have experienced indecent assault in the city. Indecent assault comes in many forms. In the trainThe MTR is where many cases of indecent assault is bound to happen. In a crowded train it's difficult to track one indecent assault especially when people

Jacque Bermejo: The Latest Pinoy Punching Bag Online

2009-09-28T08:18:00.011+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/jacque-bermejo-latest-pinoy-punching.html";After the wake of typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands of others, one small yet insensitive comment online sparked outrage. Jacque Bermejo is an overseas Filipino worker based in Dubai. In her apparent reaction to the widespread flooding in Manila and

Unity of Filipinos in Hong Kong Displayed in Diversity

2009-09-27T08:07:00.006+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/unity-of-filipinos-in-hong-kong.html";The Philippines is an archipelago whose size is only surpassed by Indonesia. In between the islands comprise distinct dialects, food and customs and traditions that make up the regional identity and source of pride.In Hong Kong, that sense of identity remains and is evident when there is a special

Zegna Frowns on Louis Vuitton as Neighbor, Sues MTR

2009-09-26T06:40:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/zegna-frowns-on-louis-vuitton-as.html";Pursuit for higher profits can be a dangerous job. Italian suit maker Ermenegildo Zegna has sued the MTR for allegedly failing to honor a previously agreed contract on shop lease at the Elements mall. Apart from managing the city's (along with Melbourne, Stockholm and London's) subway transport

Typhoon Visits Prove Best Car-Free Days

2009-09-24T07:16:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/typhoon-visits-prove-best-car-free-days.html";For the first time, Hong Kong tried to join the global bandwagon as the world celebrated World Car-Free day last 22nd of September. But getting off the wagon seems hard for car owners in the city not used to walking or taking public transport. You can only wish to take a photo same as

Itacho Sushi TV Commercial Draws Fire

2009-09-23T08:12:00.007+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/itacho-sushi-tv-commercial-draws-fire.html";Sex sells. And maybe this is one thought a television commercial for a Japanese restaurants should look like. Apparently, sex and Japanese restaurants doesn't fit in one sentence. Or at least in the advertisement of Itacho Sushi Japanese restaurant. Look at this ad. You may have seen this on

Hong Kong Crowd Pleads for Peace of Mind

2009-09-22T20:58:00.005+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/hong-kong-crowd-pleads-for-peace-of.html";Hong Kong has always been associated with crowded streets, shoebox dwellings and long queues to buses and popular restaurants. While locals get used to this as part of daily life in the city, it is not unusual to revolt against all the noise that attempt to push everybody to the brink.Amid the

Does Increase in Private Tuition Mean Lack of Trust in Schools?

2009-09-22T07:19:00.003+08:00

window.location="http://asiancorrespondent.com/ecagape/2009/09/does-increase-in-private-tuition-mean.html";It's been reported by the Federation of Youth Groups that the number of school children whose parents use tutors has almost than doubled than the 1996 figures. From a survey of Primary Five to Form Seven students conducted by the group, 56.7% of them have taken tutorial classes. It's a big