Siu Mei in Hong Kong

Do you know that the siu mei (燒味) we have literally means “barbecued- flavor” and…

Hey, what’s that smell?

Oh…speaking of the devil…It’s siu mei!

What was I talking about? Right, siu mei is actually a general name for Cantonese dishes which have the meats roasted on BBQ spits or in huge ovens. And sometimes they are served with different sauces.

“So they are just barbecued meat with barbecue sauce? I have that in my country as well. What’s so special?”

Nothing  special, really. But depends on how the meats are seasoned, marinated and roasted, the siu mei could give a unique scent and taste. So, give them a try before you write them off, ok?

One of the more iconic siu mei food in Hong Kong would be char siu (叉燒). Char siu, which is also called “barbecued pork”, literally means “forked and roasted” because that’s how it is cooked. The texture and fat content of char siu can vary when used with different pork cuts (like loin or belly). The pork is usually seasoned with honey, five-spice powder, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce and the like. Sometimes red food coloring is also used to give it some appealing color.

Char siu can be served alone as main dish, as side dish with rice or noodles, and used for stuffing in Barbecue Pork Bun. This versatility, together with its sweetness and smoke-grilled flavor is what makes char siu so popular.

Another famous siu mei choice would be roasted goose.

Goose is famous for its distinct flavor, and can you imagine how great it would smell after being seasoned with spice and roasted in the charcoal furnace? And let’s not ignore its crispy skin and juicy meat…a simple bite of it is enough to stimulate every single part of your tongue. Since roasted goose is greasy, lots of people prefer to serve it with the sweetish-sour plum sauce to counter the oily feeling. Like, char siu, roasted goose can be eaten alone or with rice and noodles (no such thing as roasted goose bun though).

But since geese are more costly, lots of standard restaurants would have roasted ducks instead. So ask if you want to make sure what you are eating is what you want to eat.

There are many more options like roasted pig, roasted pork rib and soy sauce chicken, but I will leave the exploration to you.

Even though they taste good, don’t eat too much. Just look at how they are prepared and it shouldn’t be too surprising that eating too much could result in heart disease and even cancer…

So…just one more piece of char siu, I guess. Or maybe two more pieces, or…

To hell with that, I eat what I want.  

Sau Mau Ping Gangs Corpse Burning Case in Hong Kong

Do you know there was a murder case in Hong Kong that involved 14 teenagers?

No, the teenagers are not the victims. They are the murderers. And they were not even legal by that time.

It all happened back in 1997. The victim, Luk Chi Wai, was a 16 year old boy who lived in Sau Mau Ping Estate (Kung Tong District, Kowloon). Luk were friends with a group of teenage gang members and usually hung around with them. This just sounds like a bunch of juvenile delinquents messing around, right?

Until they kept on bullying a 37 year old mentally ill cleaner, Chan, who worked in that residential estate.

Maybe deep down, Luk was a good kid, or maybe the gang really was going too far…whatever the reason was, Luk could not stand that bullying. He told Chan to report the case to the police.

The teenage gang felt betrayed and decided to “punish” Luk for this.

The gang lured Luk to where Chan lived, locked him up and abused him.

They stomped on Luk’s arms, clamped his head with folding chair, whipped him with belt, bet him with iron pipe and even slammed his head against the floor…Poor Luk didn’t last long under the torture. After they found out Luk was dead, they dragged him to the garbage room nearby and burnt his corpse, attempting to cover for their bad deeds.

The case was not revealed until Chan went to see the doctor. The doctor thought Chan’s injury was too suspicious and had the police investigate, finally exposing the shocking murder.

The judge Wong Kin Chow was very furious about their doing. He criticized them for showing no remorse and said the victim might have survived if they were willing to look for help. While on the other hand, Wong felt sad for what has happened and urged the society not to ignore teenage problems.

Four of the gang members were first sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, while others were either charged with manslaughter, assault or unlawful disposal of body. After appealing in 2001, the four convicts’ punishment got changed to 20-something years in jail instead of life imprisonment.

Most of them are going to be released in these few years.

I wonder how many of them could turn over a new leaf and atone for what they have done?

And more importantly, will the society give them one more chance?

The Jars Murderer in Hong Kong

Do you know that Lam Kor Wan is one of the two known serial killers in Hong Kong?

Lam is an infamous serial murderer from 1980s, nicknamed “Jars Killer”, or more commonly known as “Rainy Night Butcher” to Hongkongers. He was a nightshift taxi driver. Lam took advantage of his occupation by picking up female passengers and strangulated them with electrical wires. Many of his killings took place during rainy nights, thus earning him the alias mentioned above.

That’s nothing special? You have seen something crazier?

I am not finished yet.

After he killed the victims, he took their bodies home, took off all their clothes, took pictures of their nude bodies and dismembered them. What’s daring about that is he lived with his family members, and his family had no idea that the victims’ bodies were stored under their sofa overnight until they were chopped into pieces the next day.

Then he would cut off the victims’ sexual organs and store them in jars (remember his nickname?) for his…um, personal collection. He even videotaped the whole process of dismemberment and gave the video tapes names like “A Serious Secret” or “Rainy Night Action”…That’s sick? But I still haven’t tell you that he tried eating the third victim’s intestine (“tried”, he failed to do so at last because even he thought that was too disgusting) and had sex with the fourth victim’s body…Opps, I should have warned you first, shouldn’t I?

When he tried to develop the photographs of him dismembering the victims in a film shop, the shop manager found the content too suspicious (even though Lam claimed that he worked at mortuary) and informed the police. The police found out his “collection” at his home and eventually arrested Lam. He was first sentenced to death, but was later changed to life imprisonment since death penalty in Hong Kong was abolished.

Lam is very calm and seldom talks while in jail. This creepy personality, together with his crimes, scared even the prison officers. Lots of people are afraid of him not only for what he has done, but also because of “the aura” surrounding him. One of the officers even said that he once saw four semi-transparent figures circling Lam…

Whether it is real or not though, I will let you decide…

Seven Sisters in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is an area in Hong Kong called Tsat Tsz Mui (七姊妹, “Seven Sisters”)?

Well, you probably don’t, since lots pf places in Hong Kong aren’t that well known after all.

But what’s with this weird name?

Tsat Tsz Mui located in North Point, originally a rural village.

The name comes from a tragic story:  There were seven girls who lived in this village. The girls were childhood friends and while they were not really biologically related, they treated others as siblings. They made a vow that “they shall die on the same day” (a traditional Chinese vow, to show that those who vow are willing to die for each other and are spiritually united) and “they shall never get married”.

But one day, the third sister’s parent forced her to marry a man. The girl wanted to refuse, yet she dared not oppose her parent. So, out of sadness and desperation, the seven sisters decided to commit suicide by jumping into the sea while holding hands together before the day of the wedding. Their bodies were never found, but seven human-shaped rocks mysteriously appeared along the shore on the next day. The story may not be real, but according to some old residents who once lived there, the rocks do exist…

The story’s not over yet. The shore became a popular spot for swimming in the beginning of 20^th century. However, there have been reports about male swimmers drowning nearby since the seven sisters’ tragedy. Some said that the sisters were looking for bodies so that they could reincarnate; some said the sisters were there to punish men who mistreat women…

In 1934, the village and the rocks were buried under reclamation and the story about the seven sisters is slowly forgotten by Hongkongers. The only things left are the Tsat Tsz Mui post office and the Tsat Tsz Mui Road which named after the story.

Sexual inactiveness

Do you know that Hongkongers are sexually inactive?

How “inactive”?

Well, inactive enough to alarm the sex experts and researchers.

I am serious!

Be it Durex’s not-so-scientific survey, or Family Planning Association of Hong Kong’s poll, or even Agence-France Presse’s report, they all seem to point out that Hongkongers are lacking when it comes to sex, both in quantity and quality.

They try to explain the situation with the lack of privacy space in Hong Kong resulting from the horrendous house price, as well as Hongkongers’ stressed life from their work. Some researchers pointed out that psychological elements are also accountable because traditional Chinese culture treats “sex” as a big taboo and people are shy about that as they see sex as something “dirty” and think that are not supposed to have sexual desire. Even if they do have sex, not many of them can experience orgasm every time, and the situation is especially bad for females.

That’s just unhealthy.

Sometimes I wonder if it has anything to do with that hierarchy of needs…Who would waste time thinking about sex when you have lots of livelihood issues to worry about? I know that most Hongkongers are more or less mentally sick under the daily stress to begin with, but who knows the problem is so severe?

No wonder the Family Planning Association are concerned that it may harm the overall fertility rate in Hong Kong… 

Pineapple Bun in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is no pineapple in pineapple buns (菠蘿包)?

Please don’t be mistaken, your honor. Our client has no intention of speaking falsehood or deliberately misleading others to believe the buns have any direct connection with pineapples…probably.

Pineapple bun is a kind of standard sweet bun you can find almost everywhere in Hong Kong. What makes it special is not the bun itself (which is only some ordinary western bun), but that crusty layer on top, made with sugar, eggs, flour and lard. After being baked, the crust would turn golden brown. Together with its rugged texture and checked pattern, the bun looks like a pineapple from the outside (hence the name)… though I can’t really agree.

That’s all you need to know, I am done, bye

…is what I want to say. But there are a lot more about this bun.

Eating the crispy-top bun every day can be boring, right? That’s where the variation comes in!

A popular variation would be菠蘿油 (usually translated as “buttered pineapple bun”). As you can guess from the name, it’s a pineapple bun with butter inside. Soft bun, crunchy pastry and smooth butter, an ultimate combination that lets your tongue enjoy both the taste and texture at the same time. Watch out for your cholesterol intake, though.

There are also other variations with different stuffing, like red bean paste, custard and shredded coconut; if you prefer the savory ones, you can choose those with luncheon meat or barbecued pork; or pineapple bun with chocolate or cheese crust if you are tired with the original crust; maybe even pineapple bun filled with fruits like blueberry, strawberry and…pineapple!

See? It would take you nearly two weeks to try them all even if you try out one every day.

And did I mention that pineapple bun has become one of the items in Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage list since 2014?

So, go ahead.

Walk inside a Hong Kong style tea café and order a pineapple bun.

Preferably a cup of Hong Kong style milk tea as well.

Sit down, relax and taste the pride of Hong Kong…which looks like a pineapple.

Put Chai Ko in Hong Kong

Do you know that Put Chai Ko (砵仔糕) was first being recorded in Qing Dynasty?

What is this “Put Chai Ko”, you ask?

It is a traditional snack originated from Guangdong, and gets popular in Hong Kong. It is often translated as “sticky rice pudding” or “earthen bowl cake” in English. To put it simple, Put Chai Ko is a palm-size rice pudding usually made with white or brown sugar and rice flour, and sometimes (actually most of the time) mixed with red beans. The batter is usually poured into little porcelain bowls and steamed until cooked. That leaves the puddings with the shape of the bowls, hence the name (砵仔糕 literally means “little bowl pudding” in Cantonese).

That sounds simple to make, right? Not really, if you want to make it well. And it’s pretty time and resource consuming. According to some traditional Put Chai Ko makers, they need to choose carefully for the rice, making sure the moisture and hardness is just right, and then spend a whole morning to prepare the rice milk (for the batter). The rice milk is very important because it will directly affect the appearance, softness and smoothness of the pudding.  After all those experiments on the batter, they have to focus on the steaming process. Imagine spending a hot and wet summer day in front of the steamers…

Because of all these hard work needed to make the pudding and the disproportionately low selling price, less shops / hawkers are selling these nowadays. But don’t worry, long as you are willing to look (and pay more) for them, you can always find them in Hong Kong. Not to mention that there are still passionate Put Chai Ko makers insisting on providing the best to their customers, this classic snack still has a bright future.

If the standard sugar flavor is too plain for you, you can try those of pumpkin, green tea or even sweet potato.

But no matter what flavor you prefer, always, I mean ALWAYS, hold them with bamboo sticks.

Don’t “why” me!

Put Chai Ko is not really Put Chai Ko without the shape and the sticks, you hear me?

Pouring Night Fragrance

Do you know that there is similar euphemism for “collecting night soil” in Hong Kong?

We use the term 倒夜香 (“pouring night fragrance”).

When flush toilets were not common (or before they were invented), we just…er, “respond to the nature’s call” by using spittoons. Then we had the excretions sealed in some containers and had the cleaners collected them at night. The older generations would probably still remember the days when the cleaners covered their mouths and noses with towels, came pounding on the door and yell倒夜香呀 (“I come to pouring the night fragrance!”) every night.

This is more or less the same for the whole world, even though the name and practice may vary from places to places. As the technologies advance, these kinds of jobs are not needed anymore, especially for modern cities like Hong Kong.

…Or so you would think. What if I tell you that there is still someone responsible for this task in Hong Kong? According to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, there are still five places in Hong Kong that require manual collection of excretions, and Mr. Wong is the man for the job. He is the only excretion collector left in the city and has to travel around Hong Kong every night to collect the unwanted. While the job is torturing on different levels, Mr. Wong said that is “better than it seems” as he only has to manage these five spots. Well, at least Mr. Wong is not complaining…

Not all heroes wear capes.

There are some who wear plastics gloves and face masks.

Our comfortable lives owe a lot to these who can…um, bear the unbearable.

They deserve some claps.

Or at least some deodorants.

Petty Person Beating

Do you know you can beat up your enemies in Hong Kong without any legal consequence?

…No, wait, wait! Put away your bat and your brass knuckles!

I don’t mean it literally…Man, you guys are dangerous.

What I mean is 打小人.

打小人, usually translated as “Petty Person Beating” or “Villain hitting”, is a folk sorcery practiced in Hong Kong and Guangdong region. The term 小人 has a really complex historical and cultural meaning, so I am not going deep into that. But it basically means people who are “shameless, spineless, gutless and greedy”. In other words, “a bad person who at least deserves a punch to the face”. I assume you have run into a considerable amount of people like that before, no? Co-workers, neighbors, or even relatives…now, it’s payback time.

First, we need to pay respect to the deities with candles and incense. Then we need some human-shaped papers (representing the targets). We have to provide our name and the date of birth, have it written on a paper tag called 符籙 and place it on the human-shaped papers. If there is a specific person you want to “beat”, you will have to provide the name and birth date of that person as well. Of course we don’t forget the weapon: shoes (actually it can be anything, but using shoes is common)! You (or the “hitter”) slap the papers as if it is the person you long to kill! Slap with all your might, as if the person had ruined your life, or tortured your family, or kicked your beloved puppy!

Done with the beating? Good, but if you are doing this on the day called驚蟄 (the 3rd solar term, “awakening of hibernating insects”), you have to make sacrifice to the “white tiger”, which is represented by a yellow paper tiger. People would usually stuff a piece of raw meat into the tiger’s mouth, hoping that “it can’t harm people once fed”. Then we throw sesames or beans and burn some paper offerings to dispel bad luck. And remember to pray for the blessing from 貴人 (the opposite of 小人). Now we burn more paper offerings for the spirits. Last but not least, we cast two pieces of crescent-shaped wood. Cast until one has the flat side facing upward and the other facing downward, and we are done.

Whew…that’s a lot of work.

Beating up a real person seems to take less effort, doesn’t it?

You want my name and birth date so you can thank me properly for teaching you this?

…No, thanks.

I mean, no, you are welcome.

Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is a tree in Hong Kong that can grant your wish?

…Actually, not “a tree”, but “four trees”.

Yep, I am talking about the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees (林村許願樹).

The wishing trees located in Fong Ma Po Village, Lam Tsuen. The wishing tradition used to be exclusive to the villagers only, but later got famous because of some TV drama series. Lots of visitors, including foreigners would come just to wish upon the trees.

The practice is simple. You write your wish on the wishing paper and tie it up with an orange. Then you throw it high so that it can hang on the trees’ branches. Legend has it that, the higher your wishing paper is hung, the more likely your wish will come true.

Originally, there were only two wishing trees; one is famous for praying for career, academic, health and wealth, the other for marriage and pregnancy. However, in 2005, one of the trees’ branches was broken due to the weight of the wishing papers and oranges. The villagers then planted another tree (imported from Guangzhou) in 2008 and had it as the third wishing tree, but throwing wishing papers on the trees has been forbidden since then in order to protect them. The villagers set up a wishing rack for the visitors to pray instead.

In 2009, to preserve the “throwing wishing papers” tradition, the villagers plant the fourth wishing tree, which is a fake plastic tree. The visitors can now throw all the wishing papers (tied with plastic oranges now) they want at the new wishing tree!

What about that tree with broken branches? Is it ok?

Don’t worry. Under experts’ three years of intensive care and nurture, the damaged wishing tree finally recovered in 2008.

I wonder if this would really grant you your wishes?

But I can’t even hang my clothes properly on a hanger, let alone the tree branches 10m off the ground…

I think I will pass.

Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is a well preserved ancient tomb in Hong Kong?

I am talking about the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb (李鄭屋漢墓), if you couldn’t guess it.

Lei Cheng Uk Estate is a residential area in Hong Kong. In 1955, when the government tried to construct resettlement buildings by leveling a hill, the tomb was discovered by accident. The excavation started under the supervision of Professor Frederick Sequier Drake and the help of a bunch of Chinese University Students. After two years of work, the tomb was finally open to the public for exhibition.

And it’s not just some normal tomb. Judging from the structure and the calligraphy on the wall, experts believed that the tomb was built in Eastern Han Dyansty (around AD25 to 225), which means the tomb is about 2000 years old! No one can be sure whose tomb is it, but some scholars believe that the tomb was built for some nobles or government officials. 58 historical artifacts were found, and at least 33 of them were at great condition: potteries, cooking utensils, bronze wares and the like. Too bad they didn’t find any skeletal remains… (Come on, what’s fun about an ancient tomb without corpses?)

I believe the museum is free to enter. However, you don’t actually get to wander inside the tomb. You can view the tomb’s inside through a huge glass panel, and that’s it. Understandable, it’s a declared monument after all. But there are still a lot to see in the exhibition hall, like the history of the tomb, the culture of Han’s people, photos of the excavation process and the artifact displays.

…No, there is no mummy inside.

Nope, no man-eating scarabs, no Golden Tablet of Pharaoh that grants life to wax statues either.

This is Hong Kong, not Egypt.

Did you click on the wrong link?

Hong Kong Science Museum

Do you know that the Hong Kong Science Museum is one of the most visited museums in Hong Kong? And there is a good reason behind it, too.

“Whaaaaat? Museum? Of Science? No, thanks. I have enough of that in school. Boring stuff.”

If this is what you think, then you are wrong. The exhibition there may not be the most educational, but sure is entertaining because you get to play with them.

For example, the children can ride a real car and have fun with the driving simulation; Plane lovers can visit an out of commissioned airplane on the second floor; The World of Mirrors is for those who like to observe the beauty of reflection; The Acoustics hall holds a sound-proof room for the visitors to experience an environment with completely no sound; You can play with electricity and learn how it works and flows without worried being electrified in the E&M Gallery…And there are many more!

One thing that HAS to be mentioned would be the Energy Machine. It is a 22m high, roller coaster-like tower consists of a 1.6km long rail. When activated, balls will be dropped from the top of the contraption and roll through different tracks. The contraption thus shows how potential energy can be transformed into other types of energy by having the balls activating different musical instruments and neon lights along the tracks. There will be announcement before it begins, so make sure you don’t miss this magnificent performance!

The museum locates in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It opens every day except on Thursday and public holidays. While you usually have to pay HK$20 (HK$10 for children, elderly and disabled) as entry fee, it’s totally free to enter on Wednesday!

But come on! Who cares about that negligible HK$20?

It is for science!

And fun!

…And science!

Neon Signs in Hong Kong

Do you know that neon signs contributed a lot to Hong Kong’s nickname of “city that never sleep”?  Because…come on, who can sleep with all these lights on?

Neon signs are not just colorful lightings to draw customers’ attention.

To the locals, the signs accompanied them since their birth and the flourish of neon signs witnesses the growth of Hong Kong from a backward fishing village to a lively international city. When it comes to representing the night life of Hong Kong, probably nothing can beat the overlapping neon signs that occupy the darkness.

To the artists, the signs are visual culture and a vivid representation of urban beauty. The typography, design and illustration all show that they are more than electrical appliances that provide light.

Not to mentioned that most neon signs were handcrafted by well-trained craftsmen. The burning and welding of the glass moulds; the injection of gas which gives the light colors when electrified…It’s a technique that has to be passed down from generation to generation. Even without the light, the signs themselves are a form of art.

But in recent years, they are being replaced by the more cost-effective LED lights. The government also discourages the use of neon signs because of stricter building regulations and the attempt to reduce light pollution…

I can understand the parts about “cost” and “building regulation”, but “to fight pollution”? Wouldn’t LED’s strong light make the situation worse? And if the government really wants to tackle the light pollution problem, why does it even waste resource on that meaningless “Symphony of Lights” EVERY NIGHT for OVER 10 YEARS? Man, that logic…

While the government tries to “preserve” the neon lights culture by funding an online exhibition, “Neonsigns HK”, criticisms were voiced. People argued that while the use of neon signs in Hong Kong is declining, it’s not completely dead. So why should the government file it as if it was long gone and belonged only to the museum?

Even the writer of the webpage said “it is too soon to say Hong Kong’s neon light have lost their lustre”.

The night is young, and the lights are still on. Isn’t it a bit early for them to be forgotten?

Papier Mache Offerings in Hong Kong

Do you know that the papier-mache offering (紙紮品) industry used to be prosperous in Hong Kong during 1940s – 1980s?

In case you don’t know what I am talking about, papier-mache offerings are offerings that used and burned in Chinese culture for sacred or festive purposes. Yes, burn. In the sense of “burning with fire”. Because for some reason, we believe that the deceased and the spirits will receive things we burn to them (hopefully excluding the trash we burn in incinerators). So, whenever festivals like Ching Ming Festival and Yue Lan Festival come, there will be lots of burning in Hong Kong.

The paper offerings are not just bunches of colored papers, they come in many shapes and forms. While we used to have ghost money made with rice and metallic papers only, try visiting those papier-mache offering shops nowadays, and you will be amazed by the amount you get to choose from: clothes, money, sport cars, houses, LCD television, smart phones, barbecued food and even dolls representing servants…Everything made with papers, with finely-made details as well. You can even order something really peculiar. Say, when the famous Hong Kong singer, Anita Mui, passed away, her apprentices burned a paper-made replica stage for her so that “she could keep performing even in the otherworld”.

And papier-maches are not only for the deceased, there are those used for other occasions, like the fai chun decoration we have during Lunar New Year that aims to bring good luck and the paper lantern kids like to play with during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

So next time, when you see Hongkongers burning the offerings, you know that it’s not about the paper money, it’s about sending a message: tradition has to live on.

Junk Boat in Hong Kong

Do you know that the logo of the Hong Kong Tourism Board is a junk boat?

Er…yeah, you can see it clearly…Sorry for the stupid question.

But there is a good reason behind the use, you know?

Hong Kong has always been described as a place where the East meets the West, and junk boat would be a great choice to represent the eastern element. Junk boat, which was once called Chinese vessel, has its early form developed back in the Han Dynasty (around 206BC – 220AD). Having been used for transport, trading and even wars for millenniums, junk boat has a really rich historical value, and is probably the first thing comes to your mind when words like “Oriental”, “ancient” and “sea” show up.

When Hong Kong was still a fishing port, you could found lots of them along Hong Kong’s harbor. So, to foreigners who came from the overseas, “junk boat” would be the first impression they have about this city. While Hong Kong is no longer a fishing village, you can still find the famous yet nostalgic junk boats floating innocently on the Victoria Harbor, surrounded by modern skyscrapers, like a hundred year old child who would never grow old witnessing the changes of history and the flow of time…Poetic, isn’t it?

And if you are a tourist, you get to board the junk boat and have a little ride along the Victoria Harbor (…for a fee, because someone HAS to feed the tourism industry in Hong Kong). There is no tour guide on the boat, so you may be a bit confused about where you are going or what you are actually looking at. But, think of it as your private time that no one can interrupt: sitting on the classic-looking junk boat, gazing at those nameless city buildings, feeling the breeze which slips past you, smelling the sea, enjoying yourself in this peaceful silent and experiencing how you stand on the borderline between civilization and nature…

Too bad Hongkongers AREN’T ALLOWED to take that junk boat ride, as it’s only for tourists…

Why are we prohibited from riding our own boat? I call that discrimination.

Old Fashioned Toys in Hong Kong

Do you know that Hong Kong was once one of the largest toy exporters in the world?

Hong Kong was just a small dot on the map and probably 99% of the world had never heard of its name. Toys stamped with “Made in Hong Kong” were automatically rejected when Hong Kong first entered the global toy industry.

However, its low-cost yet high-quality toys caught the eyes of international brands; the once appalling “Made in Hong Kong” brand became a guarantee of quality. That was the time overseas companies start their toy production in this small city and the local manufacturers fought to build their own empires.

Tin robots, rubber ducks, paper dressing dolls, battery-operated cars…Some locally manufactured, some imported…

As old fashioned as they may be, the footprints they left on the trail of history would never fade.

That makes you want to meet these “childhood friends” (spelled as “T-O-Y-S”) once again?

Then you have come to the right place. Tai Yuen Street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island is THE place for childhood seekers like you. You will not only find shops selling old fashioned toys there, but also toys collectors and figurine enthusiasts. Remember the day you only had limited pocket money, and you had to struggle for which toy to buy; but you still couldn’t decide in the end so you could only stare at all the toys you want with that pairs of innocent puppy eyes? Now you can buy them all! Actually, simply seeing the stock would be more than enough to bring that dead child inside you back to life!

Or you can visit the Hong Kong Museum of History and take a look at the great variety of toys that used to be sold in Hong Kong. You will definitely will awe-struck by their unbelievably high quality and astonishing numbers. The only downside is that, no, you can’t play with them, sorry.

Now I want to dig out my transformable and combinable robots I love so much when I was a kid. Oh, and the toy train as well…and that dinosaur plush doll…and, and…

Wait…

My mum threw them away many years ago, didn’t she?

…I hate you mum. *sob*

Organ Donation in Hong Kong

Do you know that in 2008, the Hong Kong Government has established the Centralised Organ Donation Register to make it more convenient for Hongkongers to donate organs after their deaths?

Sadly, there are only around 200,000 Hongkongers registered under the scheme, which is only about 2% population of Hong Kong, and the donation rate is one of the lowest in the world. What’s weird is that, a survey shows that over 90% of interviewees actually agree to donate organ after death. So…where have these potential donators gone?

Lots of people said they didn’t know how to register or were afraid that their families wouldn’t support them. And some researchers suggested that the low donation rate results from traditional beliefs and misconception, while some others researchers urged the government to put more effort in promoting organ donation.

I am not on the stance to criticize, since I am not a registered organ donor either…

Traditional beliefs tell us that death is something serious and should not be taken lightly. This kind of thinking is not wrong, the problem is people (probably including me) seems to have taken it too seriously. They think it is an “undignified death” if we could not even have our whole body preserved / in one piece. That is probably why people are so refused to donate “part of their bodies” to the others.

I don’t care about this dignified death thing, but somehow…this feels so morbid to me.

I mean…registration making sure something will happen to you…after your death…

Yes, I know that doesn’t even sound logical, but it still gives me some shudder…

Maybe I should consider registering one day once I can overcome this irrational fear.

Hey, yeah, you there, don’t be like me, ok?

Lots of people out there need your (our) help, so make sure you (we) give them a chance they deserve!

*Run away as a hypocrite*

Airplane Olive in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is a snack in Hong Kong that can fly?

“That’s impossible. It’s not like it is airplane”, you say?

Oh…but it IS airplane!

Have you ever heard of “Airplane Olive”?

Airplane Olive (飛機欖) is a kind of preserve snack originated from Guangzhou, and is also called “licorice olive”. It is olive marinated with licorices (duh), dried citrus peel, cinnamon, lilac, peppermint, salt and sugar, making it sweet while being slightly sour. During 1950s – 1970s, Airplane Olive vendor would usually carry them in an olive-shape container (which looks like a bomb to me) and shout on the street to look for customers.

“But you said it can fly?”

I did, and I am not kidding. Mr. Kwok Kam Kei (郭鑒基), nicknamed “Father of Airplane Olive”, thought of a really interesting way to deliver the olives. You know that during that time, buildings in Hong Kong were usually just a few storeys tall? So, how did he hand the olives to customers lived upstairs?

Yep, you guessed it. He threw the olives to the people and the people would throw the money back at him! The olives reached the customers as if they “flew” into their house! Some customers recalled that if thrown right, the olives can even reach 13^th floor! Imagine the scene…

Too bad you can’t see this now…I don’t think the police will let you go, and no way can the olives reach the customers who live on 32th floor…

But, hey, you can still buy the olives from the snack shops. And I heard that it helps if you have sore throat or serious phlegm problem. Wanna give it a try?

Mental Health in Hong Kong

Do you know that according to a survey done on 2,500 Hongkongers, around 15% of them have some significant neurotic symptoms?

Now try to apply the figure to this 7-million-people city…

Lots of Hongkongers don’t really understand what mental disorder is. When they heard of the word “mental”, they automatically think it has something related to schizophrenia, being violent and untreatable. Even if they can tell and they are suffering from it, they will still leave it alone because they are too scared and embarrassed to look for medical help.

The result? According to a survey done by Mental Health Association of Hong Kong in 2014, half of the interviewees felt “having poor mental health” and 10% of them even thought of suicide.

And as if the situation is not bad enough, the city is severely lacking working psychiatrist, with only around 350 (in June 2016). So we are talking about a patient-doctor ratio of, on average, 4.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, which is way lower than the median (8.9 psychiatrists per 100,000 people) for high income regions / countries suggested by a WHO survey.

Of course Hongkongers can also opt for private psychologists…if they can afford it. A one-hour consultation from these experts could cost HK$1,200 to HK$2,000 (around US$154 to US$256) and is not covered in insurance. Who would spend that amount of money for mental reasons when paying HK$200 for some cold medicine is already deemed costly by many in this city?

This explains why the private sector handles only 10% of the patients…

The conclusion, from all these datum and numbers, is that Hongkongers are on verge on mental breakdowns and alleviation of the problem does not seem feasible.

One day, they may lose it and go to choke everyone they see.

So please do not scare them, touch them, feed them or take picture of them.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Golden Computer Center in Hong Kong

Do you know that Golden Computer Center of Hong Kong was once infamous for selling counterfeit software?

Well, not anymore (…probably?). Now it is considered as one of the best place to buy computer parts in Hong Kong. And I heard it is also famous among the foreigners.

OK, some clarifications first. There is actually a Golden Computer Center AND a Golden Computer Arcade. They have similar names and they locate inside the same building, so lots of people (like me) tend to mix them up. The Golden Computer Center is the one on the 1^st floor, mainly selling computers, laptops, peripherals and software.

The Golden Computer Arcade is the one on the ground floor, and was originally a floor for boutiques. Since the center above got famous, the arcade started selling related products as well, together with other electronics and video games.

The reason this place is famous for buying computer parts is that…yeah, you guessed it: they are cheap. I am not good with these prices, so I can’t tell you how cheap they exactly are. But of course they would be cheaper than those you can find in the big electronics chains…

Anyway, it’s still a heaven for those who know the prices and know how to build a personal computer. However, since the products sold there usually lack warranty, after-sale services are not guaranteed and the shop owners could be pretty “dishonest” sometimes…It may not be that heavenly to computer laymen (like me again), I guess.

Imagine after travelling through the maze-like and narrow mall corridors, you could finally spot the part you want from the packed display shelves.

You called the shop keeper only to find that he could not speak much English. You, a frustrated yet determined foreign customer, decided to utilize every body language you could think of and show him how firm you stand on the price you offered.

After a lengthy and torturing bargain, the shop keeper finally admitted defeat. You satisfyingly handed him the money, and he, unwillingly, handed you the part you fought for.

…If this scenario does not scare you, then definitely give the place a visit.