Images of Hong Kong

Maids are given one day off in a week. they meet at fixed locations. Each community to its own. Here we see the Indonesian community gathering together.  They come early by 9.00 am, find suitable spots and have a picnic and maybe gossip about their employers. They certainly carry food and shopping with them.

 Chinese restaurants are chaotic. How the food ever gets served is a six sigma exercise in itself. Very organised. Fast service. The walkers keep track of everything. The waiters dont speak much English but they are helpful. A 10% service charge is automatically added

 prawns and brocolli - my favourite dish.

This is bitter gourd (karela) and beans. Though a delicacy, i found it really bitter.

 This garoupa, served with sweet and sour sauce, lost its head, poor chap

 

Chinese Efficiency - changing table size depending upon the group.

Here is a Philipino earning his living. Sang really well; all the old Elvis numbers.

 

Ikea is a well known shop. What makes it unique is the way the Chinese use it. One would not see it anywhere else, possibly.

I saw couples cuddling together on the sofas, people relaxing and watching their mobile phones, two girls lying on a bed, two other girls playing a game sitting on the bunk beds. The best was two schoolboys - one using a wok cover as a shield and the other long tong or knife type instrument as a sword. They would not let me take a photo as they were wearing school uniform.

In parts of Hong Kong, the old life still prevails. Under a busy flyover, a shaman had set up shop. The custom seems to be that if you really hate someone, you go to her. She uses a shoe to beat a stone or any other thing and curses the person you hate!

Travelling by tram is fun. As a  senior citizen, you can travel for miles in one direction paying just HK $ 1.10, around INR 10.00. You get clear roads and the height gives you great sight seeing opportunities. Most tourists dont travel by tram as its too infra dig for them!

The buildings give a photographer sitting on the upper level of a tram great photo ops.

 In the old days, everybody had a personal chop. A small smooth piece of stone, depending upon your wealth, you had the stone. Onit carved in Mandarin originally, and now in modern Chinese, your name was drawn and then inscribed by the drill. I have had a chp for many years. i went to have it polished and cleaned. Incidentally, there is a book for English to Chinese names and to my lasting surprise, i found my surname in it, spelt exactly as I do it.

it requires great precision and proper alignment- he spent quite sometime getting it right.

here he is slowly going over the earlier engraved lines after applying white powder so that all the lines are clearly visible

 The malls are amazing. Hordes of people especially when there is a sale. Cant move. Mainly youngsters. Everybody shopping as if there is no tomorrow. This is the high end Pacific Plaza Mall atrium. Beautiful.
What strikes one is the youth - every where one sees mainly youngsters at work, including Immigration control at airport etc.

Finally, here are a few souls who have decided to do their own thing on Sunday and every day. Best wishes to them.

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