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.

I had squared the bank away and had a promise of a replacement ATM card by Monday afternoon. American Express promised a re-issued card, also by Monday afternoon. I had a re-issued driver’s license and a temporary ID card in hand.

I believe there is nowhere else in the world that I could have accomplished all that in 3 ½ hours on a Saturday morning – hell in 3 ½ hours on any day. Even after 14 years, I am astounded at the service efficiency of the Hong Kong Civil Service and Hong Kong Financial Institutions.

As an added benefit, at every stop, I was treated with understanding and sympathy, something the Hong Kong Chinese are reputed to lack. Nonsense!