Hong Kong Personal Information
Stuff about me, Ed Hahn. Who I am colors everything I write. This is not an impersonal blog.
Flunking English At All Levels
To no one’s surprise, it was just announced that 2000 or over 12% of English Language teachers have failed their certification tests. They have had 3 years to prepare and are allowed to take the test multiple times but now the final deadline is approaching and many of those teaching English will either have to leave or teach something else.
The problem isn’t so much reading and writing as it is listening and speaking. I have previously written about the decline in English Language skills in Hong Kong in an article on comprehension and in another posting on the difficulty of making oneself understood. These problems arise even in situations where the person is in a position where English Language skills are required.
Date: May 24th, 2006 |
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Music Haters Unite!
Time to ‘fess up. I have taken an unpopular stand.
The feedback in the local newspaper, The South China Morning Post, in both Talkback and Letters to the Editor indicates that many, if not most, people believe the Tuen Mun Park traditional Chinese musicians should pack up their instruments, especially their amplifiers and leave. Some felt unamplified music would be OK.
I was the only correspondent who was in favor of letting them play. I must be either an amplified music nut or out of touch. The truth is that, having lived in urban environments almost all my life, I believe …
Date: May 19th, 2006 |
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Being a Tourist Guide in Your Own Home Town: Part Two
Continuing yesterday’s item:
After arriving on the Peak, we strolled on Lugard Rd which runs from a point Southwest of the Peak viewing platform to Harlech Rd. which will take you back to the Peak viewing area. It’s a level, one hour walk and most relaxing. If you have time and are a flora enthusiast, you can take a detour to the Peak Gardens. Along the way there are signs with detailed information on the abundant plant life here and the history of the area. There are also awesome views of both the Western and Southern sides of the Island.
Because of our schedule, we didn’t walk all around the peak but strolled in relative solitude for twenty minutes and then walked briskly back to the Galleria mall for an early dinner at the Two-tiered Cafe Deco Restaurant. Cafe Deco answers the question, “When is a tourist oriented restaurant not a tourist trap?” My wife, Pam, and I love it and invariably find excuses to eat there with friends, business associates and visitors.
Date: May 10th, 2006 |
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On the Road Again
As a Boots n All member, I have a certain responsibility to travel from time to time.
This month, April, I will be on the road. I’m in the U.S. and will be visiting Montana, the East Coast and LA before returning home.
As a result there will be fewer entries as I won’t be as tuned into what’s going on in Hong Kong and I’ll be short on time and computer access. I don’t have a wireless machine.
Nevertheless, please continue to send in your comments and look for sporadic entries.
Date: April 6th, 2006 |
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Comprehension - A Moving Target in Hong Kong
This is my week to be reminded multiple times that I am not as knowledgeable as I think I am.
Last night, I ordered Take-Away from a local restaurant. I called ahead of time to insure the order would be ready when I came to pick it up. At first the person who answered the phone assumed I wanted delivery and told me twice that I was calling the wrong number for delivery.
I finally convinced her that I wanted to pick the order up. The rest of the conversation went something like this:
Date: February 12th, 2006 |
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Hong Kong Destroys Its Heritage
I wish I could say I was surprised when the Antiquities Advisory Board, in a closed door meeting, voted to demolish the colonial-era, Bauhaus style Central Market. Instead, in an act of supreme foolishness, they recommended that detailed photos of it be taken for display in the future.
Even though the architects on the board disagreed, one of them actually walking out on the meeting. The board decided it wasn’t even genuine Bauhaus and that there were other buildings in Hong Kong in this style, some of them even more attractive and having more architectural merit: this in spite of 80% of interviewed architects desiring to retain the building in some form.
The fact that the site will fetch in the neighborhood of HK$5.8 billion at auction, I’m sure had nothing to do with the decision. Developers could be heard licking their chops from miles away.
Date: May 21st, 2006 |
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Does an Expat Package Indicate Racism? (Part Two)
Continued from yesterday:
I wanted to take an extra day to think some more about the implications of what the government is trying to do with its so-called “anti-racism bill. It certainly isn’t to wipe out racism as anyone with dark skin who has tried to rent a flat will attest. Nor does the government seem interested in alleviating the prejudice and racism, the 225,000 domestic helpers face every day. Instead it is focusing on the few hundreds of expats who have benefits that differ from those given to local hires.
My wife and I are U. S. citizens and permanent residents. Both of us, when we were employed, have always worked here on local terms. Quite frankly, this gave us an advantage over expats who needed an “expat package.” As anyone in Human Resources will tell you, the “expat package” is going the way of the dodo bird whether the government passes the bill in question or not. It’s just bad business to over-pay expats. One company I am associated with has reduced its Hong Kong expat staff from over 30 to one, in the last 20 years
Date: May 15th, 2006 |
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Good To be Back Home
As Randy Quaid said in the movie Independence Day as he crashed his plane into the alien space ship, “I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!”
You can expect updates pretty much on a daily basis until I hit the road again in July.
I don’t know exactly when it was but at some point, I started to think of Hong Kong as “home” rather than the U.S. I know I am glad to be back in Hong Kong. My U.S. trip had some very rough patches. The worst was getting food poisoning in Philadelphia complete with paramedics and a short stay in the Emergency Room of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital lying on a gurney in one of the hallways for 5 hours. Reminded me of the TV program ER.
Date: May 8th, 2006 |
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Another Reason to Love Living in Hong Kong
Without going into the excruciatingly painful details, this morning, a sunny Saturday, I found myself needing to get my ATM cards re-issued, get my American Express Card re-issued, get a replacement drivers license and a replacement ID card and accomplish all this before a Monday evening departure on a month-long trip to the U.S.
After a restless night during which I convinced myself that I was going to have to postpone my departure at considerable cost, I left my flat around 9:30 AM to try to accomplish what I thought was impossible. By 1:30 PM, I was sitting in my favorite bar having lunch and relating to my friends how I had indeed accomplished the impossible.
Date: April 1st, 2006 |
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Cost of Living in Hong Kong
I recently had an e mail exchange with a young woman who is thinking of moving to Hong Kong. I thought I would share the correspondence as it might help anyone who was thinking about coming to Hong Kong, either to work or play. As always what’s here is my opinion. Feel free to disagree with what I say. I’ve deleted the sender’s name to protect the innocent.
Date: January 27th, 2006 |
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