Omicron Blues for Restaurants and Bars

Restaurants and bars having a tough time with Omicron

People in the food and beverage industry are back to having evenings to themselves with restaurants and bars shut at 6pm; only those offering takeaway can stay open.

People need to eat, but don't want to linger

Some restaurants have tried to offer late lunches and early dinners, but there aren't many takers this time. Last year many people were stuck with not much to do at work so they took advantage of lingering longer in places, particularly fine-dining restaurants.

But perhaps this time the real fear of Omicron being really contagious and having two jabs doesn't guarantee protection has made people really worry.

There were 21 new cases today, one local, four import-related, the rest were from overseas.

Our office has mandated that only people who are fully vaccinated can come into the office, and must show their certification. So it was a surprise to find a number of my colleagues have not been jabbed and don't intend to be inoculated either. One finally gave in, as he was recently promoted to lead a department.

Tonight's view of the harbour from Wan Chai

Some people grumble the government should not have said the restrictions will be in place for two weeks, but instead should just say off the bat that it's for one month. Two weeks gives people hope that they will be able to celebrate Chinese New Year which starts on February 1, but the reality is at this point, with clusters popping up here and there, health officials will not be able to clamp down on Omicron that quickly.

Previous experiences have also shown restrictions extended for more than a month. The start of the Year of the Tiger will most probably be cancelled. 

As for myself, this means more time on my hands in the evenings. The cooler temperatures have made it perfect conditions for walking and jogging along the harbourfront. This evening I actually walked and jogged over 11km which was quite an accomplishment for me. I used to be shocked at seeing people wearing T-shirts and shorts in 13 degree weather, but once you start running you understand why.

Hamburger of the moment

In the meantime, this afternoon I visited a bar to talk to the owner about cocktails when I perused his menu. On the list of things to eat I spied this item. Will have to try it next time.

Picture of the Day: Crystal Jade Encourages Mask-Wearing

The mask holder at Crystal Jade shows a dumpling with mask

Tropical storm Rai threatened to bring in heavy rains today, but they never materialised and instead brought clear blue skies that haven't been seen for a few days.

However, yesterday was a washout in terms of trying to get some exercise done.

My friend and I had hoped to do some walking after work, but by the time we started, the rain drops increased and we quickly gave up and took the bus to Central where we walked around each floor of IFC mall twice. 

Then I tempted my friend with the suggestion of eating dinner at Crystal Jade which is in the mall.

We waited for about 15 minutes before getting a table, not bad considering it is the dinner rush.

As soon as we sat down I spied the mask holder -- actually a sheet of paper folded in half. 

On it was this cute cartoon drawing of a dumpling man?! Mr Dumpling wearing a mask!

"Together we fight Covid-19" it says. 

Love it!

While there are zero Covid-19 cases in the city for the past 74 days, there are 28 imported Omicron cases.

Who knows when this pandemic will end or if it will ever end...

But in the meantime, wear your mask! Mr Dumpling will thank you!

Government Imposes New Measures to Fight Virus

Cheung (third from left) announces new severe measures

Hong Kong recorded a record high of 145 coronavirus cases today, the sixth straight day of triple digits. It was enough for the government to finally impose tougher measures from Wednesday -- why Wednesday? -- of mandatory mask-wearing outdoors, including for exercise, and a ban on dining in restaurants for a week.

This was hinted this morning, followed by an afternoon press conference led by Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and a phalanx of ministers. If the pro-establishment lawmakers blamed the pan-democrats for filibustering, the government is pretty good at doing that too.

Every time Cheung answered a question, he said so-and-so minister can give you further details, and after he spoke (at length), then that minister would follow up with supposedly more details.

This frustrated the reporters from not having enough time to ask more questions, or their queries were not exactly answered.

Chuang said there were 145 new cases today

One asked if one must wear a mask while exercising outside, and the minister in question cited the regulation code, but did not say yes or no (it is yes). There were questions about it being safe for lots of people to be eating their takeaway food outside in parks, but it seems the government didn't really think about that, that the majority of people would take their food home to eat or stay in their office to eat.

Cheung said having restaurants only do takeaway was a compromise as a way to keep these establishments afloat, but also feed Hongkongers at the same time, as a number of them don't cook or don't have kitchen facilities.

However, it seems the government has no idea that doing takeaway for some restaurants is completely not worth the cost or the cuisine is not suitable for takeaway. Supermarkets continue to be the big winner.

Also only two people at most can gather in public places from Wednesday, down from four, but if you're in a family, then it's ok. It's mind-boggling the policies the authorities make up. Someone joked on Twitter that you have to carry a family photo around to prove that you're a family and can stick together in public...

No dining in restaurants from Wednesday

But I have to say I'm relieved that everyone will have to mask up from Wednesday. No more runners gasping for air as they graze past me. It's a very unsettling feeling having someone breathing heavily on you.

Soon after the government press conference was the regular update from the Centre for Health Protection and Hospital Authority. They reported a record three more elderly people passed away, apparently with existing health conditions.

There are still over 100 people who have tested positive and are waiting to be admitted into hospitals, and more cases of seamen contracting the virus as well as in restaurants, wet markets and elderly homes. And another case from the July 12 junk trip...

Dr Sara Ho from the HA said if people are waiting at home to be sent to hospital, all family members should wear a mask, eat separately and ideally use separate toilets. However, living in such close quarters, there is a high chance of other family members being infected.

There is no ideal temporary solution to isolate these people, while others are still waiting for their test results to come back, several days after they initially sent in their saliva samples.

Exercising outdoors? You must wear a mask

It is obvious the health system is completely overwhelmed and at this rate no relief in sight yet. What happened? For months Hong Kong was doing so well with single-digit cases and then suddenly it exploded. As a friend pointed out it's lucky the case numbers haven't increased exponentially, but that might be because testing is severely backlogged.

This is not a good situation for Hong Kong to be in, and many are pointing at the list of exemptions from quarantine as the reason for the sudden surge in cases in the last two weeks. However, the government refuses to acknowledge it is to blame, saying lots of people are getting the virus because they are not wearing masks while eating in restaurants.

So we shall see if shutting down dining in at restaurants really does lower the number of cases, while exemptions for quarantine continue.

The lack of trust in the government continues to grow, making it even harder to believe what it says in trying to control the pandemic narrative in Hong Kong...

First Dip in Months

Thirty-three swimming pools in Hong Kong reopened on Thursday

On Thursday public swimming pools in Hong Kong reopened cautiously after two months because of the coronavirus pandemic and I gave it a shot.

A fellow gym member who is also an avid swimmer texted me to say she had gone at 1pm and was so excited she swam 4k. For her it was a breeze because she had been swimming in open water for the past two months and built up enormous shoulders, sending me a picture of her hulking upper arms as proof.

The pool in the right was closed, but the other one was open

She encouraged me to try the pool out before the hordes came and I decided to take her advice.

At around 8.30pm that evening, I headed over to the pool and was surprised to find I was the only person entering the lobby area, where there was a temperature scanning device. No one said anything to me as I went through the turnstile up to the changing room.

There was hardly anyone in there either -- just another person who was dressed and ready to leave -- just as I was getting ready to go in.

It was so bizarre as the place is usually buzzing with mothers corralling their children into the showers, or coming out with towels wrapped tightly around their bodies, or busy blow-drying their hair.

My favourite area, the 25-metre pool was closed, so I had to either make do with the 50-metre pool inside or outside and I chose the latter.

There were barely 20 people in the large pool which again was a strange sight, but it was good not to see too many people in there. I went into the far side and the water was refreshingly cool. However, the first several laps were a struggle! It was almost as if I had forgotten to swim properly and on top of that not being used to the long distance.

Social distancing was maintained in the pool

I did freestyle for one length and then breast stroke on the return, followed by a few seconds of rest before heading back out again. By around lap 16 I started getting the hang of it, stroking properly and breathing; swimming forces you to breath out slowly as you blow bubbles, unlike wearing a surgical mask on land where you take very shallow breaths.

There was some light rain as we swam, but thankfully they disappeared, along with more swimmers in the pool.

Don't know when the next time I'll be back, but yes, it was good to be back in the pool again.

Picture of the Day: Sunset on Buddha's Birthday

Took this sunset photo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Today is Buddha's birthday, and to celebrate there were no new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong for the fifth consecutive day.

Lots of people were out and about, practically everyone in masks, though it was a bit unnerving to see so many people gathered when I walked past Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park in Sai Ying Pun around 6pm.

A chartered flight from Pakistan carrying 319 Hong Kong residents who were stranded there for the past few months arrived this evening at 7pm and were tested for the coronavirus so we may see a few new cases tomorrow from these passengers as the epidemic controls there are less restrictive.

There are some 2,000 people in Pakistan who want to come back to Hong Kong, and 2,300 in India.

But so far in the past 11 days there have been no local cases.

A picture from Kennedy Town around 5.45pm

Walking by the waterfront is not only a great way to exercise, but doing it with a friend makes the time (and distance) go by much faster. We got to catch the stunning sunset today as we were at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and then made our way back to Kennedy Town.

I clocked in 12km today, and this month have walked a lot, doing more exercise than I would normally do on the treadmill for sure. If and when the gyms reopen, will there be new protocols? Will they only allow half the capacity to be in at any one time? How will lockers and gym equipment be cleaned more regularly? It just seems strange to go back to being "gym rats" again.

However at the same time the weather is getting much warmer (29 degrees today) so exercising in air conditioning would be welcome too.

Lots to think about, but in the meantime enjoying the views outside.

Reflections on Self-Isolation

 

Lovely view of Victoria Harbour at sunset n Easter Sunday

I have been working from home for almost a month and the unusual conditions have been challenging, as I'm sure it is for everyone around the world.

While I don't mind being by myself, living and working in physical isolation takes a mental toll. Thankfully technology has made it very easy for me to be connected with colleagues, family and friends, and sometimes there are the most hilarious things on social media that made you laugh out loud.

Was she swallowed by a fish?

Yesterday I saw a tweet from someone who have completed a massive crochet project of a mermaid's tail for their daughter. It looked very impressive.

Then the next picture showed her daughter wearing the tail... which covered her up completely like a sleeping bag! It was too funny.

The other day I posted a picture of my latest completed colouring project. A few years ago my parents and I went on a trip to France with family friends and my cousin, and one of the stops was the impressionist painter Claude Monet's home in Giverny.

I hope to visit that magical garden again, and as a souvenir I bought a colouring book there and ever since then have periodically finished pictures in there.

Every time I post a completed one on Facebook, I get a lot of likes, and this time I realized it gave people joy and it has spurred me to complete another one very soon.

Cooking three meals a day has been a challenge for sure. I have no idea how much food to buy for the week prepare everyday. But I am getting better at making rice in a pot, though the rice is mushier than it should be. At least it's cooked through...

My latest colouring project of Monet's home and garden

YouTube has been a great resource, with videos on how to cook just about anything. I learned how to cook Japanese curry and just made a vegetarian one featuring meaty mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, potatoes and onions.

But soups are still my favourite go-to meals and made a batch of vegetable soup that goes well with sourdough bread bought from a bakery.

Exercise is so important to stay sane these days. I used to go to the gym three times a week, but that ended almost a month ago when there were positive cases reported there. Instead almost every evening I head out after dinner and walk along the waterfront, over 6K to Shun Tak Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan and back.

For some reason this walk does not seem far for me, maybe because at each section of the path there are different things to see; I like to count the number of dogs I see people walking, and it averages around 16 or so. If you walk around sunset there's double the number.

I walk to not only get the heart pumping and sweat a bit, but also try to get my mind off what's going on. Last night I didn't wear an extra layer, just a T-shirt and my windbreaker so I had to jog to keep warm, which in the end turned out to be a good thing! My app tracking my distances show last month I walked or jogged an astonishing 120K, and I will try hard to make or beat that number this month.

Homemade vegetarian chilli with slightly mushy rice...

My prized purchase this weekend was a yoga mat so I can now do a few poses to stretch out and hopefully sleep a bit better; even though I am exercising, it is not enough to exhaust my mind and wake up periodically during the night, or wake up earlier than my alarm.

Nevertheless, with Hong Kong recording only five new coronavirus cases today, my colleague hinted there was a possibility we could return to work next week. I don't know if I am mentally prepared for that, but at the same time we are all dying for social interaction again.

In the meantime living in self-isolation has been a crazy experiment we are all experiencing, though every morning I wake up, take a deep breath, and am grateful to be alive and well.

Picture of the Day: Extreme Social Distancing

The scene tonight along the waterfront -- social distancing at its finest

Every evening after dinner I get all suited up and masked up to venture outside for some fresh air and exercise for the day.

There are usually people walking along the waterfront too, couples, small groups, runners, families.

But all day today there were very light showers that continued into the evening.

Despite the rain I ventured outside anyway with an umbrella and there was barely anyone around.

The picture here is taken by Sai Ying Pun and usually there are people hanging out here on the benches, or walking along the path, but tonight hardly anyone; after I took this picture, two runners emerged from the distance along with another pedestrian.

The rain wasn't too bothersome and actually it was nice to not see many people, save for a few die-hard runners. But on the way back the rain stopped and neighbourhood residents began appearing...

Today there were 32 new coronavirus cases, bringing Hong Kong's total to 714.

Trying to Keep Safe with Coronavirus Threat

The Centre for Health Protection explains how to wash your hands thoroughly

The fears of the coronavirus spreading from people who are asymptomatic are scary because you can have no symptoms and yet carry COVID-19.

And it's that paranoia that can very quickly eat into your psyche.

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have the coronavirus

I checked in on a friend of mine I hadn't talked to in over a week and she feared she was being paranoid after hearing the news that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as the wife of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

But I tried to reassure my friend that as long as she was cautious about her hygiene and washing hands regularly she should be OK.

I had my own freak out earlier this week too. I had stayed up too late on Friday doing a last-minute assignment and then packed in a full day on Saturday and Sunday before feeling wiped out on Monday.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie has the virus

It was made even worse Monday evening by some dishes I ate in a restaurant that claims not to use MSG, but I could feel heart palpitations and woke up around 4am and in trying to get back to sleep my mind started wondering if I had the coronavirus and what would I do. All these scary scenarios came into my head. It took a while fall asleep again.

I stayed home Tuesday to work from home, and actually I felt better psychologically and physically, ready to tackle the rest of the week.

Since just before Chinese New Year when the news of the coronavirus spread to Hong Kong, it's had a psychological impact on all of us. Fears of the virus are hovering over our heads everyday with no end in sight.

Trying to continue with daily life in Hong Kong with masks

Some people refuse to go to the gym to work out, others do but draw the line at going into the sauna and steam rooms, while others continue with their daily workout routines.

It's hard to say who is right, but as long as everyone takes as many precautions as possible, hopefully we can get through this soon, though some experts say the virus may be with us for the entire year!

All we can do is try to keep calm and carry on, with a lot of hand washing in between.

Picture of the Day: Please Adopt Him

This rescued Sheltie needs a forever home

This Sheltie doesn't have a name yet, but he's already about seven years old.

My friend in Mui Wo is currently fostering the dog after he was recently released from a puppy mill in the New Territories. He was the breeder dog.

As far as my friend knows, the dog has been in a cage up until recently and is trying to give him some love and care.

He walks the dog three times a day, but each time after a few minutes, the dog stops in its tracks and refuses to move. Only after some coaxing and maybe the temptation of a treat does the Sheltie continue to walk for another few minutes and then stops again. Perhaps the dog has hardly had a chance to exercise its legs and isn't used to walking so much.

The dog also seems to only want to walk on concrete and not on grass. Was it punished for being on grass? Or it has never experienced grass beneath its paws before?

Moreover its sad eyes indicate the Sheltie has been through a lot and it will take a lot of love and patience to help it find joy in its life.

Next weekend there will be an event to hopefully find a forever family to adopt him and some puppies that were also rescued from the puppy mill. My friend worries the cute puppies will be quickly adopted and no one will take the Sheltie home. He will make a good companion for anyone who has the time to give him the attention he deserves (which is a lot!).

Yoga in the Pool

Some participants doing the full cobra pose here in an outdoor pool setting

I take yoga classes regularly from my colleague, who is a certified instructor now -- we were his guinea pigs a few years ago when he needed to practice teaching, and I have continued since then.

The classes aren't too difficult and you only do what you what your body can withstand. But my favourite part is the benefits afterwards; I feel relaxed and less stressed after stretching different muscles I didn't know I had.

It takes getting used to keeping your balance and doing poses

This evening I went another level up to try pool yoga. Again we were guinea pigs for a new class that's being held at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, where thick, inflated floating mats are tethered together by bungee cords and at either end of the 18-metre swimming pool.

The best way to be prepared for the class is to wear a swimsuit because you don't know if you're going fall in or not! Our instructor also encouraged us to get into the water as well... but I didn't bring my swimsuit and instead shorts and a T-shirt and tried my best not to fall in (I didn't).

Nevertheless, doing yoga poses floating in the water is an entirely new challenge, using your muscles more. On land the poses aren't difficult, but here the placement of the hands and feet have to be wider than usual to be able to keep your balance and do the poses.

Core muscles are used more in pool yoga

You use your core muscles more and I could feel the muscles in my back legs burning (in a good way), but overall the class didn't seem too difficult, except for having to be constantly aware of keeping my balance.

Afterwards I could feel the muscles in my legs were a bit sore because you don't usually use them in this way. The instructor said we may feel sore in the morning, but I don't mind! It was a very interesting experience and afterwards I felt very relaxed having stretched out my stresses away.

I also felt very hungry afterwards...

10K Race Report

At the far end in front is the starting line! It was overcast and light rain

This morning I woke up at 4.15am to be out the door by 5.30am to get to the start of the Standard Chartered Marathon 10K run for a 6.45am start. Mentally I was prepared to not run all the way, but run as much as I could as I hadn't trained as much as I wanted.

The weather conditions were good -- it was humid though not too hot at 19 degrees and I kept warm by wearing a plastic raincoat. Near the starting area I hung back and stayed near the furthest porta-potties to avoid waiting in line to pee a few times before the race (I drink a lot of water when I wake up!).

Walking towards the starting point just after 6am

In the lane opposite us were the first batch of runners on their way to Victoria Park for the finish. I watched them go by and standing next to me was a middle-aged local man who looked like he was responsible for first aid. He asked me the distance these runners had already done at this point and I said it was around 8K.

Seeing me now in just a T-shirt and shorts he asked if I was cold and I said no, it was fine. He was worried I would catch a cold. But it was perfect conditions, overcast. However, as I approached the starting line -- though way at the back, light rain started falling and the winds were picking up.

At 6.45am the bullhorn sounded for us to run, but it took me at least six minutes just to walk to the start! I started at a slow pace and somehow just kept going. Perhaps it was me being completely focused on the road ahead and not putting pressure on myself to beat my time which led me running at a comfortable pace.

Pic of the giant Central-Wan Chai air purifier by the highway

When I hit the 1km mark, I was surprised as others were to see some runners already waiting in line for the porta-potty! "Did they have a stomachache or something?" asked one guy to his friend. This is why I go a few times before the race...

I saw at least two people injured along the race route, as well as three pairs of visually-impaired runners holding a giant rubber band with their volunteer guide runners. Very cool. One woman from the heat before us was in a giant white chicken costume and had to walk the whole thing. She got lots of photos with runners though.

The light rain came and went periodically and when we turned around from Shau Kei Wan to go back to Causeway Bay, we were in lanes that were further from the water so it wasn't as windy. I had to be careful not to run along the dividing line markers as there were periodic raised bumps and saw one person trip on one of them and fell.

Watching the first batch of runners going to Victoria Park

Pretty soon I passed 6K, 7K, 8K.... the end was already near and I felt OK, no cramps and just kept going. At the 9K mark near the end is a really steep hill. I started to climb it slowly but then decided to take a quick breather and walked up, and when the road went downhill, I began running again towards the finish.

In the end my time was around 1:10, slower than my previous times of 1:07, but I was just happy to finish the race and felt good about it. Perhaps I could have gone faster, but I was thrilled that it was a comfortable run overall.

So perhaps I was more fit than I thought! Or conditions were just right for me and kept a conservative pace.

I'm glad my colleague encouraged me to do the race because she knew I would feel regrets if I didn't do it.

She's already told me to tell her when to sign up for it so we can do it together next year!

258 Cheaters Discovered in Shenzhen Half Marathon

The Shenzhen Half Marathon was held last Sunday

More Chinese are getting fit by running and as a result there are a number of races including marathons that are organised around the country.

According to the Chinese Athletics Association, 1,072 marathon and road running races have been held this year. This compares to only 22 races held seven years ago.

But not all the participants are competing fairly.

Some runners cheated by crossing to the other lane

Last Sunday was the Shenzhen Half Marathon, but officials have since discovered 258 runners cheated.

There were 18 with fake bib numbers, three imposters and 237 others of whom a number of them took short cuts along the route.

A video shot by a traffic camera at one section of the course showed some runners crossing from one side of the road to the other instead of running another kilometre before making a U-turn.

That means they cut off two to three kilometres from the total 21 kilometres they should have run.

In another case, a local photographer took pictures of two people with identical bib numbers.

"We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself," said the announcement by the organizing committee.

Organizers found 258 people cheated during the race

Obviously there were not enough volunteers to keep watch along the route, though paying other people to run the race for you is absolutely outrageous.

Runners with fake bib numbers and those who hired people to run for them will be banned for two years, according to the announcement.

Even People's Daily wrote an editorial about the incident, saying, "Please respect the Marathon, and respect sporting spirit!"

Meanwhile on Weibo, one user lamented, "There are too many marathons in China nowadays, and too many so-called runners, but runners who really love running are still in short supply."

Running a race is for one's personal achievement. So if you really want to do a half or full marathon, you would be determined to run every kilometre. But then again in China, should we be surprised people would cheat the race?

Walking Around Houhai

Gorgeous views of Houhai that show a very serene-looking lake

New York has Central Park, Vancouver has Stanley Park, and Beijing has Houhai, 后海, or literally the "back lakes".

After a giant meal of Peking duck and other delicious dishes, we walked it off by heading to the Drum and Bell Towers, but got there minutes before they closed so we couldn't go up the towers. We lingered a bit to watch a middle-aged woman perform a ribbon dance before we walked west along Gulou Road to find a way into Houhai.

One bride getting ready for her close-up

It took a while to finally find an alleyway in and then we wandered along a side street before finally getting into Houhai. We had a pleasant stroll around as it was relatively quiet and we did lots of people watching.

One couple was taking pre-wedding pictures and the groom had trouble hoisting his slightly overweight bride up onto the railing. We also came across a mother and daughter feeding ducks some bread, and an older woman who had a large cylindrical trap that she caught some really small fish in.

For the most part we hardly saw many people at the back of the back lakes, and once in a while there were exercise areas with grannies to young people working out. One man in his early 50s was really buff and showed off by walking around shirtless and doing some tricks on the handlebars. We also saw a stray tabby cat hanging out and didn't care for humans.

Another woman catching small fish in the lake!

Finally after walking for what seemed like ages, but apparently Houhai is only 6km long, we managed to walk to the entrance of the back lakes. It used to be bustling with lots of restaurants and bars blaring music, and even a Starbucks at the front. But these shop spaces were all boarded up and looked very sad.

The area around the lake isn't as boisterous as it used to be -- which is a good thing -- but its local flavour is not so edgy anymore. Or is it me just being nostalgic?

Raising Depressed and Stressed HK Youth

About one-third of young people suffer from stress, anxiety and depression

It was shocking to hear American designer Kate Spade committed suicide yesterday, drawing attention to those with mental health issues. It's too early to say what led her to take her life, but people in the fashion industry knew she had been suffering for a while.

Young Hong Kong people also have mental health issues, and the latest survey shows one in three suffer from stress, anxiety or depression. A study by Hong Kong Playground Association last month asked 3,177 young people aged six to 24 about their mental health, sleep, exercise habits, and how much time they spent online.

Lack of sleep and not enough exercise are two factors

"Young people's lives in Hong Kong are not easy. They do not have comfortable lives in this affluent society, and they each bear their own pressure," says Wan Lap-man, a social worker who conducted the survey. He added the heavy workloads faced by students and pupils impacted how much sleep and exercise they got.

The survey used the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, a psychological assessment tool developed by the University of New South Wales in Australia to measure stress, anxiety and depression levels.

It showed 31.6 percent had mild to extremely severe stress, while 38.7 percent had moderate to extreme anxiety.

Some 30 per cent had moderate to extreme depression.

Not enough children exercise an hour a day -- or once a week

All these numbers are alarming and we wonder if the Hong Kong government is worried too.

The proportion of people suffering from severe to extreme stress, anxiety and depression was higher in the 19-24 age group.

Although the World Health Organization recommends at least an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise per day for those aged five to 17 years, the association only found 4.7 percent were getting that much physical activity.

The numbers were similar to a 2017 Chinese University survey where less than half of children aged two to 17 exercise at least an hour per day; only 30 percent exercised with their families once a week.

Children were also not getting enough sleep. From the ages of 6 to 12 it was 7.9 hours of sleep per day, and those 13-18 years it was 7 hours of sleep. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends nine to 12 hours and 8 to 10 hours respectively.

Young adults aged 19-24 only sleep 6.8 hours per day.

Wan the social worker says children and young people need to spend more time offline, sleeping and exercising.

More sleep in general would help children focus more in class and hopefully have the interest and confidence in what they are learning. Being tired all the time makes staying awake in class even more challenging let alone understanding the concepts being taught.

When I'm out late, past 10pm, it's shocking to see parents still out with their young children, particularly on a weekday. Don't they know their kids need more sleep? I need more sleep myself!

More Weighty Hong Kong Statistics

There's a lot more overweight people in Hong Kong than 10 years ago

Here's a shocking statistic -- half of Hongkongers aged 15 and above are overweight or obese, while the number of people who drink alcohol has doubled over the past decade, according to a citywide health survey by the government.

The study of more than 12,000 people from December 2014 to August 2016 showed a horrific picture of people's dietary habits.

More than 86 percent consumed too much salt, nearly 50 percent had high cholesterol, and almost 60 percent suffered from one or more conditions of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Many turn to comfort foods when they are stressed or busy

The number of overweight people rose from 17.8 percent to 20.1 percent, while those who are obese increased from 21 percent to 29.9 percent of the population.

From the statistics, the survey predicted a 10.6 percent risk of cardiovascular problems, including coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and heart failure among those aged 30 to 74 over the next 10 years.

Director of health Constance Chan Hon-yee said that alcohol consumption was a worrying trend. Ten years ago, 61.6 percent of those surveyed claimed to hardly touch alcohol, but this time 61.4 percent said they were drinkers. Many confessed to binge drinking -- from 2.2 percent a decade ago to 9.6 percent in this latest study.

"The affordability of alcohol has a direct impact on people's drinking habits," said Chan, though strangely she did not want to link the increased drinking to the scrapping of wine duties in 2008. Wine and spirits with an alcoholic strength of no more than 30 percent by volume are tax-free in Hong Kong.

The increased alcohol consumption is combined with eating too much salt and 94.4 percent not eating enough fruits and vegetables. It sounds like a giant ticking time bomb.

Increased alcohol consumption is also causing health issues

It seems strange to me that this is happening as I notice more people becoming more health-conscious and some trying to eat less meat in general and exercise a bit more. Or are these people only a tiny sliver of the population?

However, there are those who find their jobs stressful and food is a way for them to comfort themselves after a long day at the office. This is where they make bad dietary choices and feel they deserve to eat what they want. A lot of people don't cook at home, and would rather either eat out or have it delivered.

Hong Kong is a free port and a relatively capitalist society that doesn't want to nag people into telling them what they can and cannot eat. But the government needs to face the reality it has a fast-growing elderly population and encouraging them to be as healthy as possible is the best way to try to prevent medical bills from going through the roof.

While Chan wants to step up monitoring people's health every two years, that doesn't do any good if the government doesn't do anything to really push its residents to become more healthy.

Trying to Emulate China's Bike Culture

Recreational cyclists out pedaling in the New Territories

A non-local entrepreneur has taken the idea of bike sharing from China to Hong Kong, but it's had a rough start.

Gobee.bike feature lime green bikes with a logo of a bee on two wheels. It's the brainchild of Raphael Cohen, who launched the service this past Wednesday.

People basically download the app -- but currently it's only available on Android phones -- and then they can sign up with their credit card. They scan the bike to unlock it, and then ride it for HK$5 per half hour. Other offline bike rental shops will lease bikes for HK$40 a day.

Bike sharing is now available in Hong Kong...

The other hitch is that while the bikes are available in Sha Tin, though you can leave the bikes afterwards in any public place, where else are you going to ride the bike except along the bike paths in the New Territories where it's flat?

One would have to be crazy to ride a bike on the main streets of Hong Kong as there are no bike lanes. Only when you have bike lanes, like they do in China will you have more people feeling safe enough to ride two wheelers.

Now a few days after the service was launched, there are reports that three goobee.bike bicycles were found in the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, while six others were damaged or had parts like handles, brakes and lights stolen.

...But some bikes have been damaged since its launch

"They are trying to make [the bikes] unsafe to use," Cohen said. "It feels pretty sad. I thought Hong Kong was a very safe city."

A safe city doesn't mean its residents don't steal things.

My cyclist friends tell me they can barely leave their own bikes alone for a minute -- locked -- without some part of the bike or the whole thing being stolen.

Maybe Cohen should have studied Hong Kong a bit more before deciding to launch the service, but it's admirable of him to try to get people out exercising more...

Hong Kong Getting More Depressed

Hong Kong seems to have more depressed people since about three years ago

There are concerns there may be a growing number of depressed people in Hong Kong. According to a survey by the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong -- a non-profit group funded largely by the government -- says around 5.5 percent of 2,351 people show signs of clinical depression, almost double the number in 2014.

In addition, 9.1 percent of respondents scored a medium level on the depression index, which means they should be monitored for depression, up 8.6 percent in 2014.

Ching Chi-kong, an assistant director of the association, believes people had an outlet to voice their frustrations during the 79-day Occupy protests.

The 2014 Occupy protests allowed people to let off steam

"At that time, people had somewhere to express their anger and they may have hoped for change," he said. "If we think we lost something, we will get depressed more easily."

Another factor, suggests Dr Benjamin Lai, psychiatrist and chairman of the association, is the economic downturn that could contribute to "a high chance of depressive symptoms".

But look more closely at the survey results and 35.8 percent of respondents did no exercise for at least 30 minutes during the week, and only 18.1 percent did so only once a week.

"We need a balance in life, so it's not just about money or work," Ching said.

The Hospital Authority estimates about 1.7 million people suffer from various mental illnesses, but wait times for mental health treatment were the longest of all public health services. This is partly because there aren't enough trained psychiatrists and psychologists in the public sector.

Exercise is a good way to relieve depression and stress

The economic downturn has made it harder for people in Hong Kong. There are constant fears of being made redundant because companies are concerned about their bottom line, and there are fewer opportunities for people because some may be holding onto whatever work they have even though they may not be happy in the position.

No wonder so many don't have time for exercise, but just some movement for 30 minutes a day would alleviate some of the stress and rush of endorphins could people feel a bit better about themselves and manage their stress better.

It's tense times in Hong Kong -- for pretty much this entire year. We can't feel sorry for ourselves, or commiserate -- there's no time really. We have to have that can-do attitude and keep pushing forward.

Stroking for Parity

The pool is only 20 metres long, but it can go fast... if no one's blocking you!

There's been a lot of talk in the media about sexual harassment, in light of Fox News' Roger Ailes, which also leads to talk about gender disparity, how women are paid less than men even though they are doing the same job. But if a woman speaks up about wanting more pay or a promotion, she is perceived as being a bitch.

When I was in Vancouver over a month ago, a woman in her 60s asked me if there was sexual discrimination in Hong Kong. I said there definitely was, that there is an old boys' club feel and culturally men feel like they should be the dominant ones, while women are supposed to look pretty and be docile.

There aren't that many women leading large companies here, and we have only one senior female government official.

Why does Hong Kong likes to claim it is an international city and yet how its women and men are treated is still so stereotypical?

However I like to think that I change those perceptions when I'm in the swimming pool. While the men at my gym may run faster and lift heavier weights, I can swim faster than most of them in the water.

It's always the same scenario: The man starts swimming in the fast lane, thinking he will have no problem keeping up with me. But he's dead wrong 95 percent of the time.

I always have to pass him to keep at my pace or to avoid being frustrated tailing behind him.

The rudest part is that he doesn't acknowledge this and doesn't yield to me so that I can keep going.

It is always the case and today was no exception.

A very skinny Chinese man watched me swim for a while before donning his swimming cap and got into the water. I very easily passed him a few times before he got out and I thought that was the end of that.

Instead he sat on a lounge chair and watched me swim several more lengths before he decided to take another stab at swimming again (thinking I was tired). Again I had to pass him a few more times -- at one point my fingers touched his toes because he was slower than I anticipated.

But did he think to yield to me on the way back? Nope. He continued freestyle, while I was forced to swim breast stroke because there were other swimmers in the lane.

He got back out of the pool again, watched as I continued lap after lap and then he went back in a third time.

Again I passed him until he decided to rest in the pool for a bit until I finally finished my laps. Did he think the last one in the pool was the winner?

A few weeks ago two middle-aged women saw me tearing up the pool and were thrilled to see a woman swimming so fast. They wondered if I had competed before and I said no, but I'd been swimming for many years, and enjoyed it.

Perhaps they appreciated seeing someone showing up the men for once...