In 1985, as a young family, we moved to Hong Kong, where I had obtained a job at Hong Kong Polytechnic, now (in)famous for the student occupation and protest of 2019. As an expatriate staff member, I was entitled to subsidised housing, and we were duly allocated to Pak Tak Yuen, out at Shatin in the New Territories. The accommodation was spacious by Hong Kong standards, and we shared the quarters with a motley collection of families from around the globe (UK passport holders were unsurprisingly predominant, and there were also Hong Kong Chinese families, albeit with foreign passports). Continue reading
Tag Archives: Hong Kong
Why you should visit Hong Kong now
Earlier this month I spent five days in Hong Kong. You should go. Why?
- Hong Kong is still one of the world’s great cities
- There are very few tourists
- You can visit Disneyland and Ocean Park and not queue for rides and attractions
- There are bargains to be had – the markets are quiet
- Hong Kong has sites and attractions you haven’t seen yet
- Enjoy a country walk to a beautiful beach
- If you’re rugby fan, you MUST attend the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens at least once
- It’s safe: Hong Kong people support democratic reform but deplore violence
- It’s cheap – packages with major carriers are a bargain, and the public transport system is a dream
- It would demonstrate your support for the HK people
Of congee, the Noonday Gun and Australian higher education
We’ve all had the experience – a long flight which is due to land early in the morning, and with 90 minutes to go they bring out the ‘breakfast’. We dutifully ask for the Western style, lift the lid, and are confronted with what is both visually and olfactorily pretty ghastly. Continue reading