Hong Kong's Too Expensive for Residents

A very fancy (and expensive) hot chocolate

A friend in Hong Kong posted a video of a fancy hot chocolate made in front of him for Christmas at a five-star hotel in Central. The milk was heated in a copper pot, and then chocolate chips were added, and whisked together. The mixture was then poured into a cup, where a dollop of whipped cream was added, a spoonful of chocolate pearls, a homemade marshmallow and a cinnamon stick for good measure.

How much was it? HK$90 (US$11.50)!!!

Shenzhen is a weekend hotspot for HKers

I remarked that it cost more than the most expensive coffee in Hong Kong at a place called Fuel at HK$50, but he said it had already jumped to HK$62 and was not a good cup of coffee to start with.

Is it no wonder that Hongkongers find the city too expensive and escape across the border to Shenzhen to have cheap meals and fun for the weekend?

A friend who visits Hong Kong periodically told me a few months ago he and his family went to Shenzhen to see what all the fuss was about.

They were impressed by the inexpensive and delicious food they ate, while the kids enjoyed the games, in particular virtual reality ones where they were immersed in another world. 

So many websites blocked in China

But when they went back to their hotel rooms and couldn't go onto their favourite websites because they were blocked by the Great Firewall, the kids were highly disappointed!