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This was found on the tram in Hong Kong and was another shock for me after Japan. Also bewildering were the peanut shells tossed nonchalantly on the floor in the pubs in Hong Kong.

A friend who lived in Mexico said they allow it there as the more shells there are on the floor, the more popular the pub is seen to be. I`m glad nobody spat whilst I was on the tram.

Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Spitting

I had a good time in Hong Kong though there was a permanent cloud hanging over the city and a continuous cloud from the traffic at ground level as well. The only way to escape it was to become part of it by taking a bus or other public transport. As there are many islands, there are regular ferries which shuttle you between them for just 20p.

The best thing was the shopping. Having belonged formerly to the British Empire they had large bookshops full of English books only. I spent a long time in a few. It is really hard to get English books in Japan unless the movie version has recently come out or it`s a classic like Dickens and there is nothing like the same sort of scale as Hong Kong.

We ate Dim Sum of course and it was lovely. I also saw famous Japanese pro wrestling star Antonio Inoki in a hotel we went into for dinner.

And EVERYBODY could speak English near-fluently.

The above picture is the view of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. I`ve made a Flickr set of some of the pictures I took.

Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Hong Kong, Holiday

The thing that struck me the most about Hong Kong, and I presume this applies to China as well, is how different the level of service in restaurants is. In Japan waiters practically bend over backwards to ensure that everything is satisfactory to you. In Hong Kong, it seems as if your entire presence is a burden to them. They throw down menus and plates as if to scare you away, queries are answered with a “Ha?” and then their questions are barked at you.

I don`t know if it`s their hardworking desire to get on with their job as quickly as possible, disdain for all customers (tourists?), or par for the course in a Chinese society. I suspect it`s the latter but it was a shock after the customer centred Japanese approach.

See also Kottke`s excellent description of Hong Kong

Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Hong Kong, Waiter

Contortionist beggars, speedy escalators, foreigners, Indians, mosques. English football on the pub TV, mounds of peanut shells on the floor, a permament light grey sky, smoke from endless buses, smog, clouds. Ferries, golden jewellery shops, towering turquoise apartment blocks. Hong Kong.

Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

After my jaunt to Tokyo two weeks ago, I`m off to Hong Kong on Sunday for two nights. For those who think I`m taking too many holidays may I remind you that very soon I won`t be able to take a holiday for 18 years at least.

Thanks to the failure which was my request for recommended places in Tokyo to see, could you improve on your record by suggesting any places in Hong Kong I should visit? Thank you.

Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Hong Kong