Hong Kong Baby

Well, we've come back from our month-long holiday from Hong Kong and Shanghai. I wasn't sure if I wanted to move there before but after this trip, I think that I could live there. Everything is great except the heat and the humidity but all HKers say that you are in air-conditioned environments most of the time that the heat is not too much of a bother.

Bella enjoyed it there too I think. Everyday was different. So much to see and smell. Her favourite place to see? the elevators - in the MTR (their subway), in the mall, anywhere where there was a lift. You see, it's because most HK "lifts" have a big panel of red LED lights to indicate what floor you are on and going to. She loved staring at them. Every time we got into a lift she was dead quiet. We thought she somehow learned early that social behaviour of becoming quiet when one enters a lift with strangers. That's neat, I thought, but soon enough I realized that she was fixated on the LED lights.

As for me, I love the buzz and the vibrancy of the city. Although there is alot of consumerism and in-your-face capitalism, Hong Kong gives off an energy that I have not felt in Toronto, at least not in a long time. Every day felt like a new opportunity - to see something new, to learn something new, to do something new. Perhaps this is a feeling that one gets when they arrive in a new city but in Hong Kong there seems to be an urgency that things must be experienced. The city is always changing and one must keep up with the changes. It's quite exhilirating and exhausting at the same time.

Here are some last thoughts about the city:

Customer Service: Superb. From "Mannings" (a drug store like Shoppers) to "Fendi", customer service was top-notch and surprisingly not snobbish (especially important in designer stores). I am told that it's hard to get a job in HK so they really give 100% in their jobs.

MTR (or their subway): Superb and immaculate. The trains run on time and even tell you when they are coming. Each stop is announced in three languages and you always know what door to exit. The buses are air conditioned and run very frequently. Their "octopus" card (payment system) is something that Toronto should definitely implement. I loved how people can put their bags (even the big bulky ones) over the scanner and it picks up the code of the person's "octopus" card inside. No need to fumble with tokens or even bring out your Metropass out of your handbag to swipe. There is a no drinking or eating policy on the MTR and I think that it's a good one. HK also has free newspapers like the "Metro" here in Toronto but I did not see one lying unclaimed on any of the buses and subways. People simply don't litter in their public transit system.

No spitting: I guess ever since SARS "plagued" HK, people are extra sensitive about this disgusting act. Here in Toronto, you see people spit onto the sidewalks (often young men). Well, I didn't see that once in HK. This point also leads to the point of people wearing SARS masks if they are sick. How considerate!

All day shopping: Malls and shops are open 10am - 10pm, no matter what day it is. Very convenient for people who work shifts and parents who just can't get their act together in time.

Car tax: It's expensive to have cars in HK. Which is why there is such a surplus of nice cars (e.g. M-B, BMWs, Rolls) there - because if you can afford the tax, the insurance, and the gasoline, you must be able to afford a nice ride. My sister told me that often the tax is more expensive than the price of the actual car. Imagine a city of 7 million people having accessibility to a car like in Toronto, it would be nuts going anywhere. A lesson for North American cities like ours though.

No tax: The price on the tag is the price you pay. None of this GST and PST crap. Play the guessing game no more. And the income tax is less than 5% (or so says my sister). Wow, imagine keeping what you make. Although HK is thinking of instituting a GST to support the aging population.

However, despite all these great things about HK, there are a few downsides.

No free health care: However, a visit to a doctor isn't THAT expensive - about $25 per visit. But again, if you are thinking of giving birth there and would prefer a midwife, that will cost you a pretty penny, unlike here in Ontario where midwife services are free.

The weather: Freaking hot and humid for most of the year. Not sure if I can handle it. I mean, it was still pretty h & h in mid-October!

The air pollution: There wasn't a single day where I could fully enjoy the mountain view from my sister's condo on the 57th floor. It was just too smoggy. However, the HK government has launched campaigns to clear the air.

And there is one more thing about HK - and you can determine whether it's a pro or a con - the nosiness of strangers. I am referring to how strangers came up to Bella and touched her without asking me; moving the cover of the pram to get a better view of her; telling me that she is cold and that I should put a sweater on her; that one of her foot is sticking out of the pram and that is dangerous because it could get caught on something. And oh, that the pram is too heavy (when they helped me carry it up the stairs when there was no lift in the MTR) and that I should have bought a lighter one. Thank goodness that I didn't bring my actual "off-road" stroller from Canada otherwise there would be a lawsuit of some kind.

Despite these annoyances, I could see myself living in Hong Kong. Yes, Jonathan, you were right.