Andre

Hong Kong's relation with grass could be summed up in the widely used line "Off the grass!" despite having a lot of nature - obviously the problem is that people prefer to stay within the city and thus don't see the nature, even less so actually touch it. So what's wrong with the picture below?

 (More)

It's 20something degree Celsius outside, a bit of wind, perfect to go to the beach with high waves and a sea temperature of 25C. The problem with this scenario: it's November and we're in Hong Kong.

For most people in Hong Kong, the mainland China national holiday on October 1 (also a public holiday in Hong Kong) marks the day they switch from summer to winter clothes; no matter the weather outside. It's a day off work and no duties like ancestor worship to do. One can't wait until Christmas (public holiday in Hong Kong) to switch clothes, or even worse, actually do it on a weekend or any given evening (watching local TV dramas is way more important - to the point that most restaurants feature flatscreens in every corner).

What makes me question the mental state of these people is:

• It's hot (25C-30C) and lifeguards are on duty at the beaches until October 31; why is October considered winter? For those who don't know it yet: Hong Kong is located in a subtropical climate.
• Why dressing in the full set of winter clothes? Is it necessary to run around with a scarf and hat?
• Often, it is much cooler indoors than outdoors. While buses, fast-food chains, offices... usually hoover around the 20C setting (although the government recommends a more healthy and energy-saving 25.5C environment), people nevertheless take off all their winter clothes once inside. Then they wonder why they are sick (sweating outdoors in the clothes and freezing indoors without the clothes).
• Many show a total lack of common sense: jogging around in oversized winter training clothes and shouting to friends "so hot, so hot".

People keep trying, no matter how many times others have failed before. Not even to mention that their trials are so flawed it becomes amusing just to read how they failed.

Once again, an international counterfeiting gang tried to con a large bank out of more money than they'd possibly have in stock, with a method so commonly known as the Nigerian Letter. Targeting the Bank Of England, a group of 6 posing as fake lawyers and representatives of Chinese families from the preCommunist era who owned the money and wished to exchange it, came up with a story of 6 owners (aged 109 to 116) of special bank notes who'd like to cash them in before they'd die.

 (More)

It never ceases to horrify me how reckless people can behave, totally ignoring their environment and other people's feelings. In Hong Kong, with a smoking ban (in most places both in- and outdoors) enforced and heavy fees for spitting and littering, bad behavior is gradually (though slowly) becoming a bad memory. While older ones are more difficult (sometimes impossible) to convince, many "traditional" behaviors are received with a feeling of disgust by the younger generations.

Forgiving the occasional faux-pas and with mainland (China) busloads of tourists being tought "how to behave" (at least that is for those with destination Disneyland), the remaining nuisances are now mainly the road traffic (why honking when it doesn't move anyway?), the government's historic buildings demolishing plans, and young own-the-world-and-don't-care-a-dime backpackers.

The bloke below was resting on the MTR train's floor at the wheelchair parking lot and posed a public hazard for everyone. While it may be funny to imagine in a cartoon style someone jumping through the closing door, stepping on this gweilo and crashing the opposite door's window (what a face that would be), it's nevertheless just plain reckless.

It always amazes me anew how stupid people can be when it comes to their personal safety and that of others who have to rescue them.

However, there were those who couldn't resist to swim to the rafts. That may not be a difficult task at normal sea, it proved too hard for many today. Several people never made it there and had to be pulled out of the water deeply exhausted while others made it to the raft but then remained stranded there.

 (More)