HONG KONG – So Much (Untapped) Potential
A free market at the doorstep of the largest market in the world, Hong Kong enjoys the very best geographic and socio-economic situation in the world.
Unfortunately, Hong Kongers failed to take advantage of their city’s prime situation. Or, to be more precise, they simply are unaware of the ridiculously high potential of their own…
HONG KONG – Is it Possible to Be any Worse at Sports?
One gold medal; One silver medal; One bronze medal. That is all Hong Kong has ever won at the Olympic Games.
When it comes to sports, both Hong Kongese athletes and the city suck. Why?
HONG KONG – A Wasted Opportunity
If you enjoy walking around, in Hong Kong, you’ll probably have noticed the flabbergasting amount of wasted opportunities the city is dotted with.
From sea-side promenades missing cozy terraces on which to behold the setting sun whilst enjoying an ice-cream or coffee, to monuments left to rot in plain sight, it seems Hong Kongers…
HONG KONG – Keep Your Eyes off Your Phone (and Learn to Walk)
If you’ve ever walked in Hong Kong you’ll probably have noticed the mindbogglingly high density of smartphones in the city. They are everywhere. In the streets, on the MTR, in shopping malls,… Everywhere.
As a result, it will come as no surprise that Hong Kong came second, in 2018, in the global ranking of mobile…
HONG KONG – Why so (F)ugly?
When you travel to Hong Kong, your first impression is one of sheer awe. As the airplane circles over the city, you’ll be given plenty of time to admire the city’s skyscrapers. A lot of skyscrapers. Nothing but… skyscrapers.
This unique mix of skyscrapers has given Hong Kong Island one of the most iconic skylines…
HONG KONG – Are You Really Going to Put That in Your Mouth?
I like a nice steak… but not in Hong Kong. Meat in Hong Kong is downright scary. See, in Hong Kong, the meat that you are going to eat is often carved on the sidewalk. And I mean that in the most literal sense of the term: on the sidewalk. Come Winter, come Summer.
HONG KONG – Trash and the City
When I first visited Hong Kong as a tourist, in 2009, I was mesmerised by the cleanliness of the city. Mind you, as the typical tourist, I only visited the tourist attractions of the city which, obviously, were spotless. This cleanliness, I later realised, was mere illusion.
HONG KONG – A Schizophrenic Relationship with Hygiene
If ever you come across a Hong Kongese child playing in the dirt, put everything you’re doing aside, and watch. Simply watch. Are you going to be late at work? Don’t worry, it’s just a matter of seconds before the show starts. You’re about to witness a thing of beauty: a Hong Kongese parent going…
HONG KONG – Missing: Passion. Have You Seen Me?
If Christmas is a secondary celebration in Hong Kong, one festival is of the utmost importance in China (including Hong Kong): Lunar New Year. Or, as Westerners call it, Chinese New Year.
And, if you don’t know how important that day is, don’t count on Hong Kong and its citizens to remind you that Lunar…
HONG KONG – Mini Flat for Maxi Price
Apartments in Hong Kong are not spacious. That’s a euphemism. In fact, they are tiny. Horrifyingly minuscule. And I’m not talking about the infamous cages stacked in even tinier rooms. No, I’m talking about the average apartment you will find in Hong Kong. At a whopping 484 sq ft, said apartment is -surprise, surprise- the…
HONG KONG – Wealthy City of the Many Poor
Hong Kong is the city of paradoxes par excellence. Hosting the most famous global financial institutions, it is known all over the world as Asia’s financial hub. Yet, the wealthy Hong Kong only represents a minuscule fraction of the city; nestled around Central, Southern Hong Kong Island, or West Kowloon (to name a few).
The…
HONG KONG – MTR Etiquette
Hong Kong is home to the most efficient subway system in the world, boasting a 99.9% on-time rate.
Now, it is a very happy coincidence that the MTR happens to be the most efficient subway system in the world. Or, perhaps it is no coincidence at all.
Nonetheless, the MTR is a very interesting place…
HONG KONG – I’m a Pussy. So What?
If war erupted somewhere, Hong Kongers are probably the last people on Earth I would rely on to save the country. Not that they are particularly weak compared to people elsewhere in the world. As a matter of fact, it has little to do with their physical prowess. But, observing Hong Kongers in the street,…
HONG KONG – The Sidewalk
The sidewalk in Hong Kong is not just a nightmare; it is a nightmare on different levels. Nightmares that are closely interlinked. A kind of “Inception” turned sidewalk, if you like.
Now, when talking about the sidewalk, we’re talking about any pathway in Hong Kong, really. That is, any place where people can walk (including…
HONG KONG – Craftsmanship? In Hong Kong, We Don’t Need… Craftsmanship
If Hong Kongers built cars, you would end up with gaping holes in your windscreen; the door handles would feel wobbly; tires would sometimes come off the wheels for no reason… but that wouldn’t be an issue because the transmission axle would be too short to connect the engine to the wheels anyway. And, if…
HONG KONG – Born to Be Lazy
No need for a lengthy introduction. Let’s get to the point right away: Hong Kongers are lazy. Lazy as fuck. It may not seem so, considering the city is always bustling with activity. And yet, that extra activity is needed precisely because Hong Kongers are lazy. Or perhaps because Hong Kongers don’t give a fuck…
HONG KONG – An Air-Conditioning Nightmare
In Hong Kong, beside the mandatory umbrella, you better carry a jacket and a scarf wherever you go. Yes, in Summer as well. Not so much because of the weather: temperatures easily soar past the 35 degrees centigrade mark in Summer and very rarely drop below 10 degrees in Winter. No, in fact you’ll only…
HONG KONG – A Banking System from Another Age
Hong Kong is known all over the world primarily as Asia’s main financial hub. And, walking down the streets of Central, it is obvious that finance takes a central place -no pun intended- in Hong Kong’s economy. Bank of China Tower, Bank of China Building, HSBC Main Building, International Finance Centre One and Two, Bank…
HONG KONG – I Don’t Give a Fuck
The art of not-giving-a-fuck may seem like the easiest form of art to master. And yet… Over the last century-and-a-half, two schools of thought, in stark opposition with one another, have developed: a Western school, on the one hand; and a Hong Kong school, on the other hand.
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