Wan Chai, Hong Kong - I came here the day after Valentines of 2001 in the middle of winter season. The first impression was awesome and the feeling was infinite excitement. I had been through with spending days bidding goodbye to friends, officemates, doing job turn over, attending PDOS at POEA, attending to the dreaded medical checkup, etc, etc. I was aboard Cathay Pacific flight at 1pm with Karen and Christopher de Leon (not the one in WWTBAM show). We will be working in the same company called PCCW.

We settled at a hotel in North Point the moment we reached here. The twelve batchmates who came ahead of us were already reporting for work while we were airborne so we must have been missed by the ladies at the Human Resource in Quarry Bay.

My room in the hotel was overlooking the Victoria Harbour and the distinctive scent in my room is still vivid in my mind up to this day.

Hey, by the way this is not An Autobiography of a Hong Kong Expat neither The Guide to an Aspiring Hong Kong Tourist best seller comic books. Just a wacky scrambling of thoughts, experiences, lost sightings, ohs and ahs all about Hong Kong (extending to Shenzhen in the north and Macau in the west).
Normally, transition from a new job can make you feel like having butterflies in your stomach. Exaggerate it and you got my experience. As I embarked on a new experience working abroad, dealing with a different culture, talking to locals and expatriates would be a matter which will differentiate moving careers from one office to another in the Philippines.

In its humble beginnings Hong Kong was just a small fishing community similar to typical Chinese coastal areas. It was a haven for fisher folks and pirates who ply the South China Sea. After the Opium War in 1842, Britain annexed Hong Kong. In 1860 it gained Kowloon and in 1998 the British have been granted a 99-year lease of the New Territories.

It's economy has a history a distant relative to that of Japan's. When a trade embargo was imposed on China in the 1950's, Hong Kong was forced to develop internal industries with outside resources that made the territory a "sweat shop", catering to small industries relying on cheap labor and sound tax policies. Through this, the influx of Chinese traders who offered capitalization have developed Hong Kong to focus on light manufacturing relying on outside resources to grow. Gifted with natural deep water areas, Hong Kong's role as a shipping portal would soon blossom.

Textiles, electronics, watches, and many other low-priced goods stamped "Made in Hong Kong" flowed from the territory in ever-increasing amounts. Associated with events in China, the territory was thrown into turmoil in 1967. The flow of refugees from China continued unabated throughout the late sixties and into the seventies adding to the human resources, as a work force, in Hong Kong. During the 1980s Hong Kong started to work with China on a series of joint projects that brought the two closer together.

Today the financial service industries have taken over from manufacturing as Hong Kong's main enterprise. This small territory was the first developing economy to enter the world's top 10 economies. And while much of the manufacturing is now likely to be done across the border and beyond (considering what Finance Secretary Antony Leung mentions 'economic restructuring' and the 7.6% unemployment rate as of this writing), Hong Kong is still one of the world's largest exporters.

Now, here is my story. Living in Hong Kong is much more of a luxury to me rather than a duty. I was willing to trade homesickness for adventurism.

There are various points of interest I want to share about Hong Kong.

The Climate

To me, Hong Kong has rather an abnormal climate. Starting mid-March, the spring season blossoms until June. This is my favorite time of the year going out for hiking, mountain biking or simply doing regular brisk walking by the harbor front. By July until September - covering the "sale season", the intense heat of summer strikes you. Temperatures climb to 34 degrees but the feeling is like 37. I always end up in the office panting and literally dripping with perspiration. By the start of the Mooncake Festival, which usually falls within mid September and early October autumn sets in. In some seasons, winter starts only by mid December where temperatures fall to as low as 10 degrees. It extends up to late February.

The Food

As an expat who have not got used to the food I have had my fair share of eating various delicacies ranging from the tepid dishes at Café de Coral to the sumptuous Thai or Indonesian spicy fodder to expensive Indian cuisine to Chinese dim sums and Japanese sushis. But as a true blooded Filipino, I would never miss going to Mang Ambo, a Filipino restaurant reminiscent of the street carinderias of Davao, It serves affordable sinigang, binagoongan, kare kare and other hometown greats. To elevate one's ambiance with visitors and curious palates, Cinta J is the answer.

There are numerous restaurants scattered in Hong Kong. As a city often visited by tourists from all over the world, different types of cuisine are abound. However, with the social stature of a cosmopolitan city, the cost of food is expensive. I seldom eat outside, I just cook at home. Ask me what is my cooking!

Transportation

Hong Kong is a great place to live because of the accessibility to transportation. This fact is more obvious to Filipinos who just came from Manila. Though at first taking a bus is quite confusing, later the essence of this confusion creates an opposite (thus positive) effect to a passenger. Hong Kong has double deck buses serving more than 300 routes in three major bus companies: Kowloon Motor Bus, Citybus and First Bus. These buses can become good advertising media to promote concerts or movies, publicize a new credit card extravaganza or simple commodities like juice drink or beauty product which we ought not to see printed in the bodies in these vehicles.

One needs to pay the exact amount of fare upon entering the bus at a box located near the driver. Octopus card, a rechargeable fare card is often used for ease especially that people in Hong Kong are more into running against time and don't want to waste it scouring their coin purses for fares.

Octopus cards are used not only for fares in bus, MTR, trams and minibuses. It can also be used to pay in fast food outlets and groceries. No wonder it is rare to find a local who does not have this card in his wallet.

The MTR is an underground train which provides access to more than 50 stations across the territory. It is the fastest way to get to one place. Save for the time racing against other passengers, it's a real convenience to take the MTR. Most of the stations have interconnecting passenger rails to shopping malls, huge buildings as well as residential areas. No worry about rainstorms or summer sun.

16-seater mini buses also serve passengers to various areas not covered by the major bus companies. There are two types of minibuses, the red and green ones. When you get into the red bus you pay as you alight while in green minibuses you pay as you enter. I asked several Chinese friends about this but they could not provide me with a reasonable answer.

The tram is the cheapest way to travel in Hong Kong. It was built in the early 1900's and still remains as a great legacy by the British colonizers. Hong Kong Tramways, which only serves the Hong Kong island, stretches from Shau Kei Wan in the east to Kennedy Town in the west. At HK$2, you can travel to any point you want to go. The major drag for this is that trams move slowly and will often take you 25 minutes from Central to Causeway Bay, a distance which will only take 7 minutes by MTR (at a cost of less than 5 dollars).

Taxicabs are plenty in Hong Kong. Their colors categorize the areas where they are serving: red cabs serve Hong Kong island and Kowloon. Green ones operate in the New Territories and blue taxicabs are in Lantau island. The existing flag-down rate is HK$15 and an increment of HK$1.4 in every 200 meters after the first few kilometers. You should have to fasten seatbelts once you board a taxicab for it is an offense in Hong Kong not to do so. Additional charge is asked if you have extra luggage in the compartment. Most drivers are courteous and can speak English. There is no such thing as fixed payment for a particular destination and drivers choosing passengers.

As Hong Kong's vehicles are right hand driven, you should take note of the designated places to hail taxicabs.

To cap it all, never be amazed to see women driving double decker buses, taxicabs or trams. It is normal here. While it's a common thing women in the Philippines seek equal treatment with men, here women perform them.

Places to Go

Depending on your taste, you can practically do what you want in Hong Kong. You can go mountain biking or trail walking in Lantau or Tai Wai, visit Ocean Park or the floating restaurant in Aberdeen, take a stroll around Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical garden in Central, visit the Po Lin temple in Lantau featuring the giant image of Buddha, shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui's Nathan Road or go bargains in Mong Kok or Sham Shui Po for clothes and electronic goods. Maybe bar hopping in Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong.

Maybe a trip to the outlying islands of Lamma and Cheung Chau. The possibilities are endless. Oh wait, Disneyland is up by the middle of the decade!
I have been able to visit places in Hong Kong more than I should have done in the Philippines. It all boils down to convenience and ease in the pocket. I'd love to go to Palawan more than I experienced in Boracay but no money, no time. And if you think Hong Kong fares badly in the beaches category you are wrong. Fine beaches abound in Stanley district, a place dominated by Caucasian population, and in Sai Kung in the northeastern Kowloon. Beaches are managed by the government and does not require entrance fees. They are properly maintained (read: cleaning folks and life guards) which makes me feel bad about private beaches in the Philippines which costs you entrance fees and corkages but with bad management.

Government Services

As a foreigner to this land, I have been wary about my rights and responsibilities here. Despite the protection of the consulate and the various cause oriented organizations whose task is to seek welfare of Filipinos in Hong Kong, I still believe the Hong Kong government has the last say to all.

When we got here, we immediately reported to the Immigration Department and declared our length of stay as we showed our employment contracts. We were then issued our identity cards which we will be useful in every transaction we enter into: bank statements, library card issuance, inquiries in monthly bills. This is the time I thought about the much-ballyhooed national identification system during the (former President Fidel) Ramos administration. This one works! If we had it in the Philippines, we don't need to fill our wallets with PRC cards, SSS IDs, Tax certificates and Voters ID. The card will identify what accounts do we have at our bank, what book did we borrow at the Central Library and so on.

What I Like In Hong Kong

Cleanliness - In Hong Kong they have a website which tackles more on responsible disposal of garbage. While many businesses in Makati Central Business District do not have their websites, a low profile garbage site is available in HK, got my point? Troops of street sweepers spread across all areas to ensure cleanliness long before the working man wakes up in the morning and heads to office. At night they ride in a water truck, spraying the streets with water, brushing them clean. It is the reason why there is no dust here even on a very hot dry day. Singapore is cleaner because of the reputation of being a Fine City.

A law was passed last May which penalizes offenders to the amount of HK$600 (Pup 3750) per offense. (Note: During SARS outbreak, it was raised to HK$1500)Urban Development monitors the activities in various areas apprehending law breakers like ones throwing pieces of paper on the streets, posting ads on various wall or failing to bring paper along when bringing out the pet dog for a walk. The government has been creative enough to let citizens be responsible in managing their waste. There was an ad about lak sap chung (a name of garbage personified), the green, yellow and blue bins placed together each with its own set of acceptable rubbish. Garbage bins are found everywhere in Hong Kong and is cleaned up at least twice a day. Yet some people do not know how to dispose of their garbage properly.

Postal System - Hong Kong has a very efficient postal system. When I send mail locally, say today at 5pm, it will be received by someone in Tin Shui Wai or Lok Ma Chau up north the very next day (it will be hard to measure that up in the foreign mails, though it's quite certain it is due to the recipient country's imbalanced mailing system). You can buy stamps for HK$1.50 for local mails, HK$2.50 for Asia except Japan and HK$3.10 for the others. Just a few months back they raised the local charge by 10 cents but lowered the Asian stamps by also 10 cents. You can buy stamps all the time at vending machines outside the post offices or at any 7-11 shop without any markup whatsoever. You can drop your mails at green post boxes located at strategic places. When I was new here, I was overwhelmed by the convenience that in the first four months of stay in Hong Kong I had an average of six letters sent.

While the Philpost have complained that emails have somewhat taken away the market they used to corner, Hong Kong Post does not seem to be worried although I saw in the television that the revenues generated have dwindled. HKP does not depend only on courier service which is facing stiff competition with DHL, FedEx and UPS. They also serve as paying terminals for telephone bills, water and electric bills as well as tax payments. It always pays to be thinking innovatively.

Tourists can send postcards from Hong Kong upon arrival at the airport through Hong Kong Post Office stationed at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Hong Kong Public Libraries - I am a book lover that is why I will make a special mention to this. Not just they provide the basics - book loans - they do it with style and technology. Every two or three weeks I go to Central Library in Causeway Bay to borrow books about computers or geography or maybe borrow audio CDs which can be lent for two weeks. Sometimes I just drop by to read past National Geographic issues or back issues of various dailies from US, UK, Middle East, Singapore and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. If it's raining or I am too busy to renew or return the book, I can use my library card to renew it thru telnet or the HKPL website. If you are a book worm or a curious nerd, this is a haven for you.
Sports Facilities - In every area of Hong Kong, there is a football pitch and basketball court. I am marveled by this fact that despite the crowded space and a lucrative business of real estate, Hong Kong government has been able to maintain its commitment to the society, to the youth in this respect. Here I get to play squash with friends every Sunday. Though almost everything in Hong Kong comes with a price tag, the choice is yours after all. The sports facilities are among the few exceptions. It's free and you should be able to make use of it when you need it.

Hong Kong won a gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics courtesy of Lee Lai Shan in the event of sailing (Women's Mistral).

Parks - The beauty of Hong Kong does not lie on the massive buildings and other man-made edifices. It is found in the ornamentals, mini falls, butterflies within the parks located in various areas. It is a sigh of relief from the human traffic woes of the city. Neatly trimmed bushes, well-maintained restrooms and plenty of places to roam around are the essentials of a typical Hong Kong park.

Hospital services - One great benefit of living in Hong Kong is that even if you are not a permanent resident, you can still avail of the medical services at public (do not picture this as dilapidated) hospitals. I learned that pregnant women who have lived here for long have no trouble delivering their babies especially that only a minimal amount is being asked for services. As long as you have your Hong Kong ID (expats and domestic helpers also have this), you can avail of the medical services.

What I Do Not Like In Hong Kong

Pollution - I might appear inconsistent as the first thing I mentioned why I like HK is because of cleanliness. And pollution is not. Well at least, air pollution. I live in Wan Chai which is in Hong Kong island. Since the island is the most populated yet smaller than Kowloon and Lantau (where the airport is located), the incidence of air pollution is often reasonable. During summer, pollution is at its worst: in some days the visibility of Tsim Sha Tsui in the southern end of Kowloon is even close to zero due to extensive haze which is brought about by extreme humidity and smoke emitted by vehicles. Ironically, Hong Kong vehicles use environmentally friendly, almost smoke-less buses and taxis.

One more thing about air pollution is the nuisance in transit television sets within the buses. I love to ride the bus especially at the top deck on long trips to Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai because it provides an unscathed view of rural Hong Kong -- hills and greeneries. But with the presence of noisy television sets which show music videos, university advertisements, daily episodes of a popular soap opera and new product releases, the serenity of the place and the comfort of my ride is somewhat distracted. Worse, these shows are in Cantonese.

Inability to speak English - It's a wonder that when I went to Indonesia and talked to a 10 - year old Singaporean boy, he masterfully conversed with me with that peculiar Singaporean accent. It is rare to find that kind of fluency in Hong Kong's primary school children. Save for the ones who grew up in Australia, UK, US and Canada, children will have very little chance of talking in English outside their schools. Even Hong Kong grown ups have this fear of talking in English. I do not want to appear superior - who is able to distinguish an American, a British and an Australian by the way they talk - simply put, Hong Kong citizens still struggle with this universal language despite being ruled by the British for one and a half centuries.

A crusade in English at workplace is being initiated. Hopefully this will enhance the communication skills of the locals especially those who often deal with foreign tourists such as waitresses, taxi drivers, hotel room boys and chambermaids.

One interesting thing I notice is that Hong Kong locals cannot even communicate well with their Mainland counterparts. In PCCW, my team leader had to communicate in English with someone from Shanghai. Even when talking to Korean and Japanese tourists (who of course have different language than the locals), English is their common medium of communication.

As Hong Kong establishes itself as a World City, it should be noted that its citizens should also think global while acting local.

High cost of living - I once told my boss that in the latest survey, Hong Kong has toppled Tokyo and Osaka as the most expensive city in the world. He was quick to react that the basis was not consistent in all cities. For me, whether this claim is true or not, it is really expensive to live in Hong Kong. For starters, let's begin dealing with the realtors. Owning a 900-sq ft flat will cost at least 2 million dollars. The price will vary depending on factors such as location (the most expensive ones have sea views), how high is it, the higher the more expensive (which follows the first factor), age of the building and accessibility to places like the MTR and business districts. Many people just rent flats and move from one place to another. I myself, having lived here for the past 19 months, have lived in four various locations within Hong Kong island.

Food is also expensive. A typical lunch set costs around HK$23.50. To make things clearer here is a more familiar price list: one piece chicken joy set at Jollibee Central or Wan Chai costs HK$21.00 (about 130 pesos), same for McDonald's, same for Hardees or Café de Coral, Fairwood or Maxim's. KFC is even more expensive. Needless to say Chili and Spice, Stone grill and other higher end specialty restaurants. So what I do is just to buy raw food and cook them at home. I get to learn cooking, and at the same time, I save money.

Professional services such as architects (a profession Filipinos excel here), optometrists, dentists, lawyers have pretty high fees.

Even "sale" items are expensive, taking into account the conversion to Philippine peso at its most frugal way. That is why it is a common dilemma for Filipinos who just came to Hong Kong to find everything expensive and become hesitant to buy anything. It is for the reason that it is so difficult to live in Hong Kong without having a job. Everything revolves around money. The rate of suicide is huge here.

Life in a fast lane - If you are a new comer to this place, expect a comedy of sorts everywhere. In the MTR, where trains are located several meters away from entrances, people have to walk briskly at 3 to 4 steps a second (a rough estimate on my crooked imagination). It's literally a walkathon inside the subway. In general, the pace of life in Hong Kong is fast. Not because they have to walk far to make it to the nearest bus stop but in all respects, time is a very precious commodity. Making appointment should be dealt with utmost punctuality. A slight delay can poise a business meeting into jeopardy. That is a nice personal discipline. Whereas, Filipinos have traffic mess to blame for being tardy, Hongkies have no scape goats.

However, with this pace of life totally opposite the typical laid back Filipino lifestyle, a day can be stressful. Here, I usually sleep at 1 to 2am, wake up at 8 and report for work at 10. Take lunch at 2 and leave the office at 8 in the evening. It's quite tiring on for me to be in this kind of cycle. But I am glad to be busy always.

Virtual walkathon takes place in the MTR stations everyday. Race starts at 6pm and ends at 7.30.

Lack of potable water at home - One thing I missed in Davao is the water which is incomparable elsewhere: Cagayan de Oro, Makati, Hong Kong. Similar to Manila's proliferating distilled water business, Hong Kong is also a lucrative market for this commodity since water flowing out of our faucets is only suitable for laundry and bath. Well we used to boil and freeze them, but the idea just died out when we entered our second year here.

As our body requires 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, that is equivalent to about a 1.5-liter container a day. It costs about HK$5- HK$8 depending on brands. Less expensive ones are from Hong Kong or China while bottled ones from France, Switzerland or United States are on the higher end of the price list.

Note: I may sound either biased or too critical, what I experienced here speaks for itself. Unlike in Singapore or Taiwan or USA where Batch97 communities exist, I am alone here. Nobody agrees or refutes my opinions.