MTR Trying to Catch Fare Evaders

Only seniors can use this card on Hong Kong transport!

In Hong Kong there are people who try to evade paying full fare when going on the MTR.

By using a green Octopus card for seniors, they can ride for much cheaper.

Last year it was reported more than 4,200 people were abusing the system.

My aunt, who is in her early 70s, looks young for her age as she exercises a lot.

During our recent trip to Hong Kong, she used the green Octopus card to get around on the MTR, and one time when she was exiting the turnstile, a female MTR staffer came up to her and asked her if she knew she was using a senior's card.

"Yes, because I'm a senior," my aunt replied.

"Can I see your HKID?" asked the staff member.

My aunt had her Hong Kong passport on hand as she had just renewed it.

When the staffer looked at my aunt's birthdate, she was disappointed at being unable to catch a fare evader.

After my aunt told me this story, I told her it was a compliment!

West Kowloon Arts Hub is Deep in the Red

Fung says the WKCDA is HK$1 billion in the hole -- again

Hong Kong's West Kowloon arts hub that includes M+ and the Palace Museum can't make money. In fact it's in the red by HK$1 billion, similar to last year.

CEO of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Betty Fung also said the number of visitors to the district was lower than expected, and so revenue from ticket sales and museum merchandise fell 20 percent year-on-year.

The Sanxingdui show garnered lots of attention

How is this possible when M+ recently presented a well-received exhibition on late Chinese-American architect IM Pei and well-known Hong Kong-based designer Henry Steiner?

Likewise the Palace Museum had the Sanxingdui show and paintings from the National Gallery London.

While the MTR does go to West Kowloon (called Kowloon station), getting to M+ and the Palace Museum isn't really convenient.

But there's also restaurants in M+, in particular Mosu, the Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by Korean superstar chef Sung Anh who became famous as a judge in Culinary Class Wars. Because he had closed his restaurant in Seoul, he was pretty much focused on his Hong Kong branch, which drew a lot of fans to his restaurant.

However, Fung says the catering businesses at the West Kowloon district didn't bring in a lot of revenue either.

Chef Sung's profile drove fans to eat at Mosu

Is this a case of bureaucrats not having a clue how to run businesses? Or too many people involved and not making bold or innovative decisions?

The fact that the district is HK$1 billion in the hole like last year is very troubling. For years there were complaints that Hong Kong was a cultural desert, and now that this area has been developed and opened there's no interest in it!

Disappointing and frightening to see taxpayer dollars frittered away...

Coldplay Adds Another Date in HK

Coldplay fans are thrilled for an additional date in Hong Kong

Hong Kong was abuzz when super band Coldplay announced it would perform in the city next April and tickets were snapped up for shows on April 9, 11 and 12 in the new Kai Tak stadium, where the nearest MTR station is about 30 minutes' walking distance.

Then today concert organiser Live Nation said another date would be added.

"Due to incredible demand for Coldplay: Music Of The Spheres World Tour in Hong Kong, one more date has been added at Kai Tak stadium," the promoter said. 

Kai Tak stadium has 50,000 seats

Fans can get tickets for the April 8 show from next Friday. The tickets start from HK$399 (US$51) for the nosebleed section, and then HK$699, HK$1,299, HK$1,699 and HK$2,099. For those who have the stamina to stand for the entire show closer to the stage, that costs HK$1,399.

For those willing to shell out more, there are "experience" packages for exclusive merchandise, early access to the venue, and backstage tours range from HK$2,799 to HK$6,599.

These prices seem more down-to-earth compared to the stratospheric prices for Taylor Swift's last concert dates for the Eras Tour which ends in Vancouver next month.

Today there were tickets released for seats behind the stage -- you may not necessarily be able to see everything on the stage, but you can definitely hear the superstar artist.

An acquaintance told me tonight that she tried to get the tickets but found there were 800 people ahead of her; when it was around 400 people ahead of her, all those tickets were gone. Those tickets were a mere C$16, but now they are selling for over C$2,000.

Vancouver will be mayhem when Swift comes

Some charities have gotten a hold of Swift tickets and are selling them at auction. The Canuck Place Children's Hospice raised C$46,000 for selling four pairs of tickets, and VGH UBC Hospital Foundation raised a staggering C$320,000 at auction for 15 private suite tickets to see Swift.

While a lot of people are gouging Swift fans who are desperate to see her in person, it's great to see charities benefitting from the "Swift effect".

The MTR Wants to Change Escalator Habits

Hongkongers are so used to standing on the right on escalators

When it comes to the escalator, Hongkongers are very efficient. They have developed a culture of standing on the right so that people who are in a hurry can walk up on the left.

I have made it on time to many appointments because of this and it's also a bit of a workout for my legs.

A few years ago I read that escalators need to get fixed more often because they are not evenly used because people are all standing on the right and not occupying the left side much. 

The MTR wants to change people's habits

Now the MTR wants to change escalator culture by getting commuters to stand on both sides of the escalator. There are over 1,300 escalators in the railway network serving millions of passengers every day.

The MTR Corporation cited public safety as the reason, adding 430 accidents involving station escalators were recorded in the first nine months of the year.

Last week the MTR launched "2024 Escalator Campaign" urging passengers to stand on both sides of the escalator, and use the lift when carrying bulky items. They should also avoid standing too close to the edge of the escalator steps and be cautious when wearing long or loose clothing.

The campaign immediately sparked heated debate, with some passionately arguing that the city's efficiency was due to its culture of allowing people in a hurry to go on the left, while others thought people occupying both sides would move more commuters faster.

In the meantime the MTR Corporation will try to educate passengers to change their habit of standing on right of the escalator, but will not resort to using by-laws force people to stand on both sides. 

"We hope that passengers will stand steadily on both sides of the escalator for the sake of their own safety and that of others," said Cheris Lee Yuen-ling, the MTR's chief of operating and metro segment.

Does this "2024 Escalator Campaign" end on December 31? Just asking...

Review: Among the Braves

The book covers the 2019 protests through four activists

There are many books written about the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, such as Antony Dapiran's City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong that documents practically every single incident that happened, to Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong,  Louisa Lim's memoir that is woven together with detailed history of Hong Kong.

One of the latest books is Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy by journalist couple Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin, the former with The Washington Post, the latter a contributing writer to The Atlantic.

Ho is a journalist turned activist, now in jail

It's complicated to explain how the protests exploded on the street in the summer of 2019 without a lot of history and context, and the authors do this through Reverend Chu Yiu-ming's life, how he came to Hong Kong from the mainland, became a pastor and was involved in Operation Yellow Bird, smuggling Chinese student activists in Tiananmen Square out of the country, and then in 2014 the Umbrella Movement, calling for universal suffrage.

He was prosecuted for his involvement in the 79-day occupation of parts of the city, and five years later the next generation takes up the mantle to continue the fight for democracy. 

The book follows four main characters and how they were involved in the 2019 protests: Chinese-American Samuel Chu Muk-man, a protester named Tommy, journalist turned politician Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, and UK-based activist Finn Lau Cho-dik.

Lau advocated online for laam chau

July 21 is the fifth anniversary of the horrific events that happened in Yuen Long, when triad members wearing white shirts attacked people in the MTR station with rods. It was a horrific scene watching the video clips posted on Twitter that night.

In particular it was Ho's live-streamed video that was shocking. She was the reporter who bravely recorded a middle-aged man assaulting her and she continued filming the incident live. Among the Braves reports how local residents in Yuen Long knew days in advance the attacks would happen, and so did the police, and yet nothing was done to stop or mitigate the attacks.

When Ho decided to run for the pro-democratic primaries in July 2020, she was mentally prepared to go to jail... where she has been since January 2021.

The book also has a harrowing account of Tommy, who decided to take the risk and flee to Taiwan... by boat and what happened after, and how surveyor Lau became an activist in the UK to raise awareness of what was happening in Hong Kong and proposing "laam chau", the concept of mutual destruction. That resulted in a HK$1 million bounty on his head.

Chu's activism was inspired by his father

Samuel Chu is also profiled in the book as an activist in the US who is... the son of Reverend Chu. Like his father he studied to become a pastor and was active in promoting several causes which gave him experience to set up the Hong Kong Democracy Council, which is he as since left.

Nevertheless Among the Braves follows these four along with then Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and the numerous missteps she made in handling the 2019 protests and how this resulted in Beijing taking control over the situation and the city.

It's quite impressive how Mahtani and McLaughlin were able to reconstruct these people's lives, in Ho's case with as many people they could talk to, as she was behind bars. Their back stories help explain their motivations for being involved in the 2019 protests and the authors are sympathetic towards the pro-democracy protesters.

McLaughlin and Mahtani

A minor quibble is how some shocking events that were part of the protests were mentioned in passing to avoid criticism if they didn't include them, such as the young man who was shot by a policeman and protesters setting a man on fire.

In any event Among the Braves is a page turner for sure; those who were in Hong Kong can relive the events in their minds, while hopefully it will enlighten others about what happened in 2019.

HK Taxis Still Attacking Popular Uber

When will the government finally decide on Uber in the city?

It is really quite amazing that the Hong Kong government STILL has not resolved the issue of having ride-hailing apps in the city ever since Uber entered the market in 2014.

How can it be that the so-called "world's international city" has made ride-hailing services like Uber illegal?

Residents prefer taking Uber over taxis

As a number of people take Uber, they like the service because the vehicles are clean, the drivers are courteous and get them from point A to point B without the smell of cigarettes, listening to taxi drivers' rants and uncomfortable seats. Oh and they have seatbelts that work too.

Everyone is also made accountable -- the customer can rate the driver and vice versa. And the rides are paid via credit cards. Only a few Hong Kong taxis are accepting Octopus cards...

When it comes to taxis, there is no outlet to complain effectively and in a timely manner. Nor is there any kind of punishment let alone motivation for taxi drivers to improve their behavour and the condition of their vehicles.

The biggest complaints of taxis are refusing to take a potential customer, and overcharging; and why is it that they all seem to be unavailable at 4pm?

And yet the authorities seem to be at the mercy of the taxi industry. Recently, some taxi drivers have posed as Uber customers and instructing them to drop them off where the police are to get the ride-hailing drivers into trouble.

The public finds this tactic reprehensible and more annoyed with taxi drivers in general, and yet the government has not stopped them, or found a viable solution.

Taxi drivers worry about value of licenses

For taxi drivers it boils down to how much they had to shell out to buy a taxi license, which is now valued at HK$3 million (US$384,490); there are concerns that legalising Uber would devalue the taxi license.

Some say there is enough room for everyone to co-exist, while others say the government is reluctant to affect the value of the taxi licenses. Why is it that a taxi license has become an investment commodity? And we're in 2024, taxis do not have the monopoly when it comes to getting around, with the MTR, bus, tram, Star Ferry and now Uber.

The other issue is that the government officials who need to decide on this issue have not taken either mode of transport -- they have their own chauffeured cars. If they have experienced what it's like to take a taxi and an Uber first hand, then they will see why people prefer the latter over the former...

So Long, KITEC

KITEC is a large complex with offices, concert space, banquets

When I think of Kowloon Bay, it reminds of me of the first two jobs I had that had offices there, and later on the headquarters for the MTR. It is also where there is a giant complex called KITEC, which stands for Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

It's about a 15-minute walk from the MTR station, or if you can catch it, a five-minute free shuttle bus ride. It's where students used to take classes at a college there, and for Chinese New Year, large companies would hold their banquets there for staff, since they could hold about 1,000 people.

Many companies held their CNY banquets here

And for indie music fans, KITEC was the medium-sized venue where they heard bands such as Rubberband, Miyavi, Laufey, Tom Odell and Dean Fujioka to name a few. 

It was also the venue for other events -- Funassyi fanatics saw the pear fairy there in 2018, and nine years earlier Hello Kitty fans got to see their favourite feline in a special exhibition there marking her 35th anniversary.

It was recently announced KITEC will close permanently at the end of June, after it was bought for HK$10 billion by a consortium led by Billion Development and Project Management in 2021.

Last March, the Hong Kong government approved the reconstruction of the site into three commercial buildings that includes an industrial exhibition space, and commercial and engineering facilities.

The mid-sized concert venue will be sorely missed

Built in 1995, KITEC was originally owned by Hopewell Holdings and has 1.76 million sq ft in space. 

There goes a multi-use building that attracted a diverse group of people! 

MTR is Hong Kong's Pride and Joy

The Tuen Ma line is very efficient

The MTR system continues to grow in Hong Kong, and I experienced first hand how convenient it is to commute from the New Territories to Central in minutes.

This morning I went to Yuen Long to visit a friend who has a 15-month-old boy and another baby three months old. She made it easier for me by suggesting we meet in Yoho Mall, which is attached to the Yuen Long MTR station.

It took me just under an hour to get there from North Point by going to Admiralty, then taking the East Rail to Hung Hom, and changing to the Tuen Ma line, the longest line on the MTR network. 

But going back to Central, it only took 30 minutes, by going from Yuen Long to Nam Cheong then to Hong Kong station. I was very impressed. Not only that I got to my lunch appointment on time despite helping my friend with her kids, and even holding onto the older one by the hand as he walked a bit in the mall.

This MTR line enables people to live in cheaper areas and commute into work in Central or Tsim Sha Tsui East within 30 minutes. Where else in the world can you find such an efficient public transport system?

This is Hong Kong's strength -- being able to transport people quickly and efficiently. This MTR system is not trumpeted enough, the envy of every other major city in the world.

New MTR Station Brings Shenzhen Closer

One of the newest stations in the MTR system

This afternoon my friend and I intended to walk from Central to North Point, to help me digest a big lunch I had just eaten. However, by the time we got to the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre we could see dark clouds looming over us, and periodic muted claps of thunder.

When we arrived at the Wan Chai ferry pier, we felt rain drops on our heads and decided to bail and get to the relatively new Exhibition Centre MTR station. This was being built when I left Hong Kong two years ago so it was interesting to finally see it open.

Lots of space for people to move in the station

It is on the East Rail line, which means starts from Admiralty all the way to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. In other words, there is now no need to go to Hung Hom to get to Shenzhen -- you can easily start the journey from Admiralty.

Talk about making it easier to get across the border...

Again at lunch there was discussion about going to Shenzhen. A great deal is getting glasses made there -- in half an hour -- at HK$200 per pair for not too complicated prescriptions.

Since it's so chea, people get more than one pair made.

Not only can you pick them up to go home, but also have the option of someone bringing these glasses to you in Hong Kong.

Even Costco in Shenzhen has a delivery service where if you buy your items in the morning, they can be delivered to you by the late afternoon.

This line goes all the way to Shenzhen

How can Hong Kong compete with that? And just a very convenient ride away on the East Rail line, the second stop being Exhibition Centre.

Over 4K People Abusing Elderly Fare Transport Scheme

People 60 and over can ride public transport for HK$2

One of the perks of being a senior in Hong Kong is that taking public transportation is much cheaper. When people 60 years old and over take the MTR, bus, and ferry, it costs HK$2 (US$0.26) per ride. 

Naturally it's not surprising to see more elderly people riding 650 routes for buses and ferries, as well as the MTR railway network.

However, the authorities have found that over the past eight months, 4,260 rail passengers were fined for misusing the HK$2 fare concession scheme. 

The government has also found that over the last five years, 1,419 suspected cases of abuse of the scheme were uncovered during monitoring of buses, MTR, ferries, minibuses, trams and even buses to transport residents to and from their apartment blocks.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han even mentioned one passenger who was fined HK$14,000 (US$1,800) and had to pay around HK$2,000 in unpaid fares.

He said the Transport Department had asked operators to increase ticket checks and passenger identity verification, as well as strictly enforce penalties.

This is hard for frontline workers to enforce when there are lots of people getting on a bus or ferry, and also what can they do if someone doesn't pay up? 

The scheme costs the government around HK$6 billion in terms of reimbursement of costs to the transportation companies.

In order to make up for the shortfall, lawmaker Peter Koon Ho-ming suggests doubling the concession fare to HK$4 to keep the scheme sustainable. 

"Transportation fares have gone up by around 30 percent since the HK$2 scheme was rolled out. Is it feasible that we keep the concessionary fare at HK$2 and don't increase it? I think we should be more realistic when looking at this," he said.

Koon is the reverend who helped Chan Tong-kai who allegedly murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan and set off the anti-extradition protests in 2019...

Another lawmaker, Chan Siu-hung, suggested placing restrictions on the scheme, such as limiting the number of trips a person could make.

"Whatever it is going to be -- be it a fare discount, a limit on the number of rides or on the fare -- I hope the original purpose of the policy can be maintained, which is to encourage the elderly to go out more," Chan said.

Only Good News in Hong Kong

Lee tells journos to tell more good stories about Hong Kong

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is telling journalists to tell "good Hong Kong stories" to counter what he called "slanders and attacks" from the West.

He said this in Mandarin during an event held by the pro-establishment Hong Kong Federation of Journalists. During his speech Lee claimed politicians and journalists from the West were "time and again targeting Hong Kong by fabricating lies, spreading false narratives, slandering Hong Kong, and intentionally speaking of Hong Kong like a place with no freedom."

"In the face of these immoral people, Hong Kong's journalists should all the more unite, take the initiative and be professional," Lee said.

"[Journalists] should tell good stories of Hong Kong's special advantages, international business environment and captivating nature at our doorstep... to counter the slander and attacks aimed at Hong Kong," he added.

Let's see...

This week the Hang Seng Index fell below 16,000 points, well below what it was in 1997;

Property prices have fallen to its lowest in seven years;

The city's press freedom has plummeted to 140 out of 180 regions by Reporters Without Borders;

Hong Kong's birth rate is one of the lowest in the world;

But the good news:

More mainlanders are settling in Hong Kong;

It's fun to go shopping in Shenzhen;

Someone has a chance of winning HK$38 million in the Mark 6 Jackpot;

The MTR has new eight-car trains that are being put into service.

We try to tell the good news, if the government had some...

Word of the Day: Special Forces Travel

People like to buy a coffee and sit outside by the waterfront

The new buzzword among young Chinese mainlanders is 特种兵式旅游 or "special forces travel" -- visiting as many destinations as possible in a short period of time while spending the least amount of money.

They look to the app Xiaohongshu to help them plan their itinerary, and Hong Kong is one of their destinations.

Taking photos on the "special forces travel" list

Instead of lining up at luxury brand stores to buy the latest handbag or shoes, they are on a budget and visiting Hong Kong's various districts, though one in particular is really popular -- Kennedy Town, where I used to live.

They are descending on the waterfront, where a certain coffee shop known by its "%" sign -- Arabica -- is a super hot spot for "special forces travel".

The place was already very popular with locals who would come here on the weekends and pose with their lattes and iced coffees, and now it seems their mainland counterparts are doing the same, except in exponential numbers.

In Xiaohongshu, Kennedy Town is described as "the most romantic neighbourhood" in the city, perhaps with the waterfront scenery paired with eclectic stores and cafes, made popular by Arabica and Slowood, an eco-friendly shop that invites customers to buy food in bulk.

It's easy to get to too via tram, MTR and bus.

Slowood is an eco-friendly shop drawing visitors

Some believe young mainlanders traveling on budget is a sign that China's economic recovery hasn't come to fruition as hoped, and the property sector seems to be teetering to the brink with Evergrande Group and Country Garden having deep financial problems.

Other say post-pandemic they want to go out and experience life outside as much as possible to make up for lost time.

While it's good that money will be going to local businesses instead of multinational conglomerates, visitors should be careful while taking pictures at Kennedy Town's waterfront! There's a lot of traffic there that doesn't stop!

Hong Kong's Late Night Bang for Your Buck

Lots of smiley-face fireworks on October 1 this year

Post-Covid there's revenge traveling, revenge shopping and in Hong Kong, revenge fireworks.

It has been yonks since the city has had fireworks. They were cancelled in October 2019 because of the protests and then the Covid-19 pandemic happened soon after.

So the upcoming National Day holiday fireworks are going to be nothing short of a blast. 

Tai Hang Fire Dragon returns in late September

The 23-minute display will be fired off from an unprecedented nine Victoria Harbour launch points (three barges and six pontoons), and will cost HK$18 million (US$2.3 million). 

The fireworks show is part of the Hong Kong government's bid to revitalise the city's nightlife, with various activities and events to encourage people to go out in the evenings.

They include having museums like the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum open until 10pm; the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance for three days around the Mid-Autumn Festival; Lunar New Year fairs open until the early hours; shopping vouchers that can only be used in the evenings; and night bazaars held in the promenades at Wan Chai, Kennedy Town and Kwun Tong.

Even attractions like Ocean Park and Disneyland need to stay open later, free admission to the Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday nights, and late night movie tickets. Oh and to help you get around, you can have a free ride for every five rides taken after 10.30pm, and free parking in some shopping malls.

Hong Kong Museum of Art to open late

While we appreciate the effort to create things to do, looking at the offerings they are piecemeal and pretty pathetic. Who wants to go to the Museum of Art at 9pm? Wouldn't you rather go to M+? And the night bazaars don't sound appealing... what are they going to be selling? 

The effort to promote nightlife in Hong Kong may backfire, as overcrowding may discourage people from gathering... or I maybe totally proven wrong! 

Hong Kong Deluged by Flooding

A bus submerged in the torrential rains that flooded HK

A few hours ago pictures and videos of the epic flooding in Hong Kong were posted all over social media -- the muddy waterfall pouring into Wong Tai Sin MTR station, vehicles plowing through water in the Cross Harbour Tunnel, a woman still holding onto her umbrella as she slid about 50 metres along a street, trying to grab onto the railing.

The city is still under a black rainstorm warning 14 hours after it was posted, with rain falling 158.1mm deep between 11pm and midnight last night, an unprecedented amount since records were kept in 1884. In total over 400mm of rain has fallen.

Needless to say today schools are closed, and most people are working from home as the black rainstorm warning is expected to continue until midnight this evening.

Wong Tai Sin MTR station deluged by water

Chai Wan seems to have received the brunt of the intense rain left over from Typhoon Haikui. The New Territories also suffered with the Shenzhen government giving very little notice to its Hong Kong counterpart that it would discharge water from the reservoir -- that knock-down effect left 15 minutes for residents in the area to prepare to evacuate.

So far there are no reports of fatalities, but residents are not impressed by the government's response, with the Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki holding a press conference right now (2.30pm HK time) to report on what the authorities are doing together with the Security Bureau some 12 hours later.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu didn't make any public statements and instead published two social media posts urging people to stay safe. Hongkongers bombarded the comments section questioning why the government's response was so behind, compared to the preparations made when Typhoon Saola was approaching the city.

One commenter by the name of Veronica Law wrote: "Not everyone was on Facebook. Why wasn't even an SMS sent to residents in this kind of situation?" Another user named Emi An said: "Is the chief executive sleeping? Are you aware of the severe flooding out there?"

A shopping mall in Chai Wan flooded

At the press conference going on now, acting director of drainage services Chui Si-kay said Hong Kong's drainage system could not cope with the torrential rainfall, and denied that Shenzhen releasing water from the reservoir did not cause flooding in the New Territories, that it was all from the rainfall. 

One may never be quite sure what the situation was there, but for sure the city will have a lot of water and sludge to get rid of in the streets, in shopping malls, MTR stations, and people's flats. 

There are still questions on how the city's authorities and the Hong Kong Observatory did not prepare residents with the possibility of a deluge of rain...

Typhoon Saola Blows Through Hong Kong

Over 1,500 trees were reported fallen all over the city

Typhoon Saola blew through Hong Kong yesterday and most of the city was left in tact from the T10 tropical cyclone that packed winds at 200km/hr.

Eighty-six people were sent to hospital, while there were reports of 1,545 fallen trees and two landslides. Many of the trees were strewn across roads, causing traffic headaches this morning on major thoroughfares, like the Island Eastern Corridor and Gloucester Road in Wan Chai, though city crews did their best to remove most of the debris.

A tree that replaced one after Mangkut also fell

Someone posted on X, formerly known as Twitter that a tree by a gas station that had replaced one that fell after Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 had fallen after Typhoon Saola. Too bad it wasn't mature enough to hang on, or perhaps the space for it didn't allow its roots to spread further into the ground?

My cousin reported that during T10, all outdoor MTR trains were not running, while there was flooding in Tai O, and minor flooding along the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin. 

Many residents in Lohas Park in Tseung Kwan O reported their flats were swaying during the brunt of the typhoon's force, with some experiencing headaches and motion sickness.

Reminds me of Typhoon Mangkhut when I felt my building swaying too, and I felt a bit dizzy and had to lie down for a bit!

Tai O experienced flooding after Typhoon Saola

As Hong Kong returns back to "normal", tropical Haikui may approach the city on Monday.

Hopefully it will not induce residents to ransack supermarkets like when Typhoon Saola was approaching -- people grabbed whatever they could, sweeping shelves clean as if they were preparing to hunker down for weeks.

People seem to forget that a typhoon rarely lasts longer than 24 hours and so there is no need to hoard food!

Quote of the Day: MTR Chairman's Meaty Business

Auyeung says MTR will expand further into the mainland

The MTR Corporation has expanded its services to some cities in China and abroad, including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia.

And the semi-privatised company's chairman Rex Auyeung says MTR Corp will continue to extend its services in China, particularly in the Greater Bay Area, connecting Hong Kong and Macau with nine Chinese cities.  

But he says Hong Kong remains the bread and butter of the company, or rather a meatier metaphor.

"Hong Kong is our filet mignon, I cannot afford to lose sight of the Hong Kong business," Au said in a recent interview with a local newspaper.

We thought bread and butter was a staple, but perhaps for Auyeung, filet mignon is a must-have in his diet?

Distressed Hawker's Future in Doubt

Chan begging officers to just giver her a fine, not take her cart

A reporter happened to come across an altercation between a 90-year-old hawker selling roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes and officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department at Cheung Sha Wan MTR station. 

Chan Tak-ching had just left her stall for 20 minutes for a toilet break when a 29-year-old man helped her man her cart, but according to her hawker license she is not allowed to let others do this for her. As a result the young man and the cart were taken away.

Many like eating roasted chestnuts in winter

With several onlookers, the elderly woman was sitting on the ground, pleading with the FEHD officers to only give her a fine, as she depended on this cart for her livelihood. The young man was her goddaughter's son, who was subsequently charged with illegal hawking and was released on a HK$1,000 (US$127) bail pending a trial set for March 29.

"He has been helping me run the cart for several years, while i take care of the money bag," she said. "The female officer was going too far... She said we were peddling the chestnuts at a hawker black spot, but in fact, we were not."

She wanted her cart back to run her business which she has done for decades. However in this situation the cart is seized as evidence, and if the person is convicted, the cart is confiscated permanently, and presumably the hawker license too?

As the FEHD lays down the law, the real problem is that elderly people who should be enjoying retirement, are still eking out a living.

The other day an 84-year-old taxi driver crashed into two pedestrians in Fortress Hill, though before this latest accident, there was debate about whether people over 80 should be allowed to drive a taxi.

There are fewer and fewer hawkers in Hong Kong

It's because they need the money. While the vast majority of taxi drivers are in their 60s, many are in their 50s, and a small handful in their 80s. 

Perhaps the government should revisit its Old Age Allowance or "fruit money" for the elderly, because HK$1,570 a month isn't enough for much of anything in Hong Kong. Only those with good jobs have some kind of pension, while the rest rely on saving as much as they can. And to pass the time some continue to work to earn a bit of extra money.

Street hawkers are a cultural part of Hong Kong. When you see people roasting chestnuts in giant woks on the street, winter is here. There used to be others selling candy and puddings in bowls. But they are no more. You're lucky to find someone making egg waffles, and if you do there's a long line.

There has to be some kind of balance struck to enable the elderly to make a living. But is the government compassionate enough to let Chan get her cart back?

Snack Shop Kwan Kee to Close

Kwan Kee will be shutting its doors for good later this year

It's sad to hear the news that the snack shop Kwan Kee in Sham Shui Po is closing after over 60 years, as the owner is looking to retire.

The open-air shop is right next to the MTR station (Exit B2), and while the shop sold magazines, bottled water and candies, people went there to buy freshly-made puddings, like put chai goh (a caramel-coloured pudding with red beans solidified in a small bowl and then was eaten on wooden skewers.

Another that I liked was the black sesame pudding cut up in giant cubes, the same could be said for red bean pudding, and coconut jellies that are placed in thin plastic bags.

Its best seller is put chai goh pudding

Not only is this place patronised by locals, it was also given Michelin approval in 2015, in a list promoting Hong Kong's street foods. That designation led to even more people flocking to the shop to try their treats.

The owner, Fu Wing-cheung, told the media in 2018 that if it wasn't for the puddings which bring in the revenue, the shop would have closed ages ago if it just relied on groceries.

"[Puddings] are our main selling point now. The money we make from groceries is only a supplement that can barely cover the electricity bill, Fu explained.

Kwan Kee is a see-dor, or a shop, which were very common in the 1960s and 1970s before supermarket chains sprouted all over the city. 

"We are pretty much the only see-dor left in this district," he said almost five years ago.

His father started Kwan Kee in the 1960s, steaming the puddings in their shack in Sham Shui Po, and then they were sold on the streets by his wife. Fu took over the business in the early1980s and setting up the shop on Fuk Wah Street since 1984.

Black sesame is popular and coconut puddings

Fu's younger brother starts making the puddings at 2.30am, as they need several hours to cool in order to sell, while Fu himself shuttles between the kitchen and shop until 11pm at night. 

He says making the puddings is not complicated, but time consuming.

In 2018 Fu, then 63, said his children were not keen to take over the business "because they are too educated to do this kind of toiling work".

"If the day comes when I reach a certain age, and my children have all grown up then I will simply retire," Fu said. "Don't say I'm shutting this place down; I'm just letting it retire too."

Word on the street is that Kwan Kee will retire in May... 

Kwan Kee

115-117 Fuk Wah Street

Sham Shui Po

(next to Sham Shui Po MTR Exit B2)

Remembering August 31

People left flowers, believing people died in the station

Today Hongkongers are remembering the third anniversary of the events that transpired in Prince Edward MTR station. Commuters, some of whom were protesters, some not, were attacked by police in the MTR station. 

The images of fully armoured police armed with batons, beat people trying to defend themselves with flimsy umbrellas were shocking, people huddled together on the floor of an MTR carriage crying hysterically, fearing for their lives.

This scene is etched in people's memories

Meanwhile first aid volunteers tried to reach people down in the MTR they thought were injured, but the police had the entrance gates shut down. One very young first aid volunteer begged the police to let him inside to help the victims, even offering his first aid kit to them, but they told him to get lost. He cried in anguish, feeling guilty and frustrated.

Now three years later and in Vancouver, I am still grappling with these events.

This evening at a dinner party I sat next to middle-aged man who was born and raised in Hong Kong, went to Canada for school at the age of 16 in Victoria, BC and later university in London, ON. Afterwards he basically settled here for over 30 years.

He asked me what it was like during the protests in 2019, could there have been 2 million people on the streets? I said that there were some people who did the whole march and then went back to Causeway Bay to walk it again.

How could the Hong Kong government have not seen what the people wanted? How could it not have listened to them?

From this day police became more aggressive

As I told him I have lived there for 18 years in total, the last stretch from 2010 until four months ago, he then knew that I had seen Hong Kong's progression, as I had witnessed the Umbrella Movement and then the 2019 protests.

The last time he visited Hong Kong was in 2012 and even then he could feel the tension, with Hongkongers frustrated with mainlanders coming to the city to buy everything from shampoo to food to luxury goods to flats.

He used to visit Hong Kong every 10 years, but the pandemic and the passing of his father in 2020 in Vancouver put an end to that. Seeing how the city has changed in the last few years has made him uninterested in going back, though he admits missing eating certain foods, like liver sausage wrapped in steamed rice rolls, and snake soup.

When the protests erupted three years ago, he only saw snippets of it in news reports or on social media. It wasn't until he watched the documentary, Revolution of Our Times did he finally get to see the comprehensive picture of the protests from beginning to end. 

He says some friends are very yellow, others are the deepest hue of blue, and at times finds it hard to navigate conversations as diplomatically as possible. 

This documentary gives a fuller picture of protests

This is not an isolated problem, as every other Hongkongers has had to deftly figure out who is blue and who is yellow and steer clear of politics as much as possible. This is the reality these days, there is no green, or middle ground.

We all love Hong Kong, and the ones who have left love it just as much as those who are still there. Which is why we remember all the anniversaries, because this is a collective memory -- we saw what happened and we will not forget.