Justice Served in Toilet Paper Heist

 

Today there were 24 new coronavirus cases, and tonight there are lockdowns in several buildings near Ursus Fitness in Sai Ying Pun where the latest cluster has evolved to 109 so far. If the gym cluster continues to expand, Hong Kong could be in its fifth wave.

But way back when the pandemic first began last January, there was an unfounded rumour that the border between China and Hong Kong would shut down and what did people really need? Toilet paper!

Then the hoarding began, with people fighting over bog rolls in the supermarket and soon retail establishments had to set a limit of two packs per person.

Toilet paper were stolen from this Wellcome

And then the heist happened -- at 6am on February 17 last year, 600 rolls of Virjoy toilet paper worth HK$1,695 (US$217) were stolen at knife point by three masked men at at Wellcome supermarket in Mongkok.

The delivery driver who was threatened with the knife later called the police, who managed to recover all 600 rolls the same day in two locations near the supermarket. The three men were arrested soon after.

Fast forward to March 11, and the trio were sentenced to 40 months in jail each for robbery. 

Warehouse worker Ho Chi-leung, 27, transport worker Lee Yan-to, 34, and steel bender Lee Yip-tong, 30, pleaded guilty and in mitigation expressed remorse. Ho apologized to the delivery man.

The stolen goods were quickly recovered by police

While their defense lawyers said the robbery was not elaborate and did not involve valuables, and the stolen goods were recovered, Deputy District Judge David Cheung Chi-wai said the stolen goods could not be valued by their nominal price because of the circumstances at the time.

The judge also noted the three worked together and were equipped, which suggested they had a plan, albeit a simple one.

Justice served.

Is Hong Kong's Fifth Wave Here?

At least 64 new Covid cases are related to Ursus Fitness

No one has declared it yet, but it feels like Hong Kong is on the cusp of its fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today the city logged a staggering 60 cases, following an outbreak at a gym in Sai Ying Pun. Ursus Fitness is popular with bankers and lawyers, which resulted in many firms and banks closing their offices because of positive cases, while the trainers there work in different gyms around the city.

Dr Chuang hopes gym outbreak can be controlled

There are 64 cases linked to the gym, while some 360 others are now in quarantine, and 20 preliminary positive cases recorded.

However, health officials are hesitant to call this growing spate of cases Hong Kong's fifth wave.

"I do not wish to see a fifth wave," said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, of the Centre for Health Protection. "I hope it can be controlled, but it has been spreading very fast. One infection has already led to many others."

Indeed. At least 12 other fitness centres were visited by Covid carriers, including in Taikoo Place and Central.

As a result there are now infections recorded in companies like HSBC, China Construction Bank, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, law firm Allen & Overy, while some Citibank employees who went to the affected gyms were told to work from home. 

In addition, at least 14 schools, including international ones have also been affected by cases or taking precautionary measures, such as British Kellet School, French International School, and South Island School.

Hui says the gym could be super spreader cluster

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert at Chinese University, said the gym outbreak was similar to the dance club cluster in mid-November that ballooned to 732 people -- the largest in Hong Kong since the start of the pandemic.

"I worry the big outbreak at the fitness centre will be the prelude to the fifth wave, but the Centre for Health Protection very quickly quarantined close contacts," Hui told a radio program. "Hopefully that will stop the virus from spreading everywhere in the community. We will need to closely monitor the situation."

He was also concerned the gym could be a "super-spreader cluster" and urged an examination of the ventilation system and check how it is cleaned.

Meanwhile the interest in getting a vaccine has dropped after four people died after getting the Sinovac jab. They also had preexisting health issues, which led to many with high blood pressure and/or diabetes to not get the vaccine. 

Many worried about side effects cancelled jabs

A friend asked if I was going to get the vaccine and said she has an expat neighbour who cannot understand why people are not in a hurry to get the jab. He asked if people wanted the pandemic to end or not.

But for many, the lack of trust in the government has meant people are left fending for themselves and want to make the right choice when it comes to vaccines. They also worry about side effects since the vaccines were developed so quickly without enough long-term data.

Nevertheless, health experts have told the public that getting a jab is better than none at all, but many are waiting to see how others react to it.

Another friend got the jab today. He said there was no line at 9am and it was very efficient. 

At least Hong Kong has that right.

 

Picture of the Day: Forest Bathing

Chilly but clear blue skies looking down on Hong Kong

A friend I met who I bump into at the swimming pool often (but now is closed because of the latest government restrictions), asked me if I hiked much. I admitted not, but would I be interested in joining her on Friday morning?

At 8.30am?!

Waterfalls and lots of greenery everywhere

Whenever I have to wake up early the next morning I don't get a good night's sleep, but I managed to get up and meet her at the Sai Ying Pun MTR station where she guided me up to Bonham Road and up Oakland Path to Kotewall Road which is the start of the Morning Trail up to The Peak.

However, my friend took me another way which is much longer in terms of distance and time, and not steep all the way. The path practically had no one on it though we passed some dog walkers -- and friendly dogs! -- and some trail runners getting a good workout.

The path took us through lots of forested area which was wonderful, immersing ourselves in nature and inhaling fresh oxygen. We kept walking all the way to the southside above Pokfulam and Queen Mary Hospital before we went up a wide asphalt road that seemed to wind along forever upwards with no end. And then before we knew it, over two and a half hours later, we were at the Peak Tower via the Pokfulam Reservoir Road.

A quick loo break and we walked down via the Morning Trail. Since we went up early, we saw many huffing and puffing their way up the path as we zoomed down back to Kotewall Road and then back to Sai Ying Pun. 

View of Queen Mary Hospital (left) and south HK

In the end I completed over 15.8K and spent over 1,000 calories! Needless to say I was ravenous when I got home, then took a shower and a badly needed nap!

Another friend wants to go up the Peak tomorrow too...!

Who Will Heed Lam's Universal Testing Call?

Hong Kong Government reveals new slogan this afternoon

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor continues to sell Hong Kong down the river with pride.

This afternoon she held a press conference with the backdrop not as "Together, We fight the Virus", but a large photograph of AsiaWorld-Expo kitted out with hundreds of temporary beds and the words, "Fight the Virus with Central Government's Full Support".

The slogan wasn't even edited, showing how progressively Chinglish the Hong Kong government is becoming, while the message itself was blatantly shoe-shining.

Lam says there is free testing for the virus

It was as if Hong Kong residents needed to be hit over the head to realize that Beijing has our best interests at heart when it comes to fighting the pandemic -- which incidentally was first reported in Wuhan in late December.

Lam announced that due to the still high numbers of new coronavirus cases, the central government was kind enough to send experts to Hong Kong to help with mass testing for Covid-19. It will begin in two weeks and every Hongkonger will be eligible for a free test in a bid to find not only positive but also asymptomatic cases.

"We need the public's support, understanding and cooperation when we combat the outbreak... and the protection of the public's health and safety is always our top priority," Lam said.

"If people still have concerns, they do not have to come forward. This is an entirely voluntary program to provide testing for those who want to have the test," she added.

Labs are being set up in Sai Ying Pun

Who then, is going to take it, when there are fears of what the three mainland labs will do with the saliva tests afterwards, despite the Hong Kong government's assurances all samples will be labelled by a barcode that only the Department of Health would know the person's identity.

Doesn't Lam realize that she has lost so much credibility that no one believes her anymore? 

Today 89 new cases were reported in Hong Kong for a total of 3,938 and 47 deaths.

An experimental laboratory is being set up inside the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park sports centre in Sai Ying Pun.

This morning five Central and Western District councillors tried to check it out, but were stopped by 50 police officers, who issued tickets fining them for violating a ban on gatherings of no more than two people. 

After receiving the tickets, the councillors ripped them up in front of the media present.

Jordan Pang Ka-ho, one of the councillors, said the fact that officers did not allow them into the building showed the government was avoiding answering their questions.

"It's just our duty to monitor the facility, and also to have a meeting to question government representatives whether this is a safe facility [for] us." 

Some friendly reminders on how to stop Covid-19

The plan for mass testing goes against local health experts' advice, who all say there is no point in mass testing if there is no lockdown in the city. As long as people keep moving around, testing them one day does not mean they are immune; they could become positive the next.

The experts believe the more effective way is to test hot spot areas and high risk groups like taxi drivers, sales and restaurant staff, to see if there are more new cases. 

But alas, someone is not taking this pragmatic advice and prefers instead to listen to someone much higher up. And again, who is going to take this voluntary test? Maybe there will be free bags of rice and cooking oil as enticement?

Hongkongers Determined to Remember June 4

A few thousand people came out to Victoria Park tonight

The city was on edge today wondering what would happen on the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

For the past three decades, people would make their way to Victoria Park, putting up with pan-democratic figures shouting on the bullhorns to solicit donations and people handing out flyers about political parties or remembrances of June 4.

Lighting up our small collection of candles

Once inside the park, the same songs would be repeated over and over before the actual vigil began with a wreaths carried and a large flame lighting a cauldron on stage.

Everyone would light their candles and have a moment of silence.

But this year the police had banned the event, and just for extra measure, officers used police tape to cordon off the football pitches. Oh and to further discourage people from even going near Victoria Park at lunchtime, police in riot gear flooded the Causeway Bay streets leading to the park.

However Hongkongers were not deterred. Many of them began showing up at Victoria Park towards 8pm and a few thousand people arrived, pushing down the barriers and tape and with main organizer Lee Cheuk-yan, began a pared down version of the vigil.

The police were standing nearby and used loud speakers to warn people they were taking part in an illegal assembly, but did nothing to clear attendees in the area.

A full moon and the dark liaison office at left

Others gathered in Mongkok by Langham Place, or outside several MTR stations, like Sai Ying Pun, Tuen Mun, and Tai Wai.

My friends and I decided to meet at Instagram Pier and light candles there. It was the perfect evening to gather in Victoria Park with a strong breeze going, but for us the breeze made it difficult to keep our candles lit. Nevertheless our intentions were there -- to remember the countless number of victims who died in the pursuit of democracy and accountability.

People are determined to keep June 4 alive despite the impending national security law. Tonight was proof that Hongkongers will press on despite the challenges. To not remember the victims of the June 4 massacre would be unimaginable.

"We will fight on, we will let the world know we will not give up our freedom," Lee said at the end of the vigil.

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.

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.

Halloween is Cancelled

Halloween in Lan Kwai Fong usually brings out revelers in fun costumes

Halloween should be a festive day for people to dress up in fun costumes, pretending to be someone else for a night wearing masks and such. Wearing masks help people to lose their inhibitions and play harmless tricks on people, or get treats.

But with the ongoing anti-government protests where the government has a controversial mask ban in place, Halloween is going to be pathetic this year.

The annual Halloween Fest at Ocean Park is cancelled

Ocean Park has cancelled its big annual Halloween Fest that was planned for tomorrow, and the MTR will have trains running until 11pm, but Prince Edward station will close at 2pm, while Central will close at 9pm -- just when the reveling gets started in Lan Kwai Fong.

The police have planned to have 3,000 officers stationed on Hong Kong Island, complete with three water cannons and god knows how many canisters of tear gas. And of course there will be lots of police at the Chief Executive's Office in Tamar, and at the liaison office in Sai Ying Pun.

Protesters are calling for a march from Victoria Park to Lan Kwai Fong, and the dress code is for participants to wear face masks of government officials. That in itself is amusing.

Will we see scenes like this tomorrow night?

But alas the police are taking no chances and may plan to install road blocks in Tin Hau, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty and Central.

"Members of the public should avoid traveling to concerned areas when public disorder occurs. Police may also close some roads if necessary," the police said in a statement.

We'll have to see what tomorrow brings...

Kennedy Town Rally Spreads

At 4pm people start gathering at Belcher Bay Park in Kennedy Town

Currently there are running battles between the protesters and police this evening in Causeway Bay, Wong Tai Sin, and Tseung Kwan O.

It's a constantly fluid situation, and the reporters literally following them are getting physically exhausted, not to mention having to deal with the effects of being pepper sprayed and tear gassed.

Perhaps even worse is that the police refuse to answer hospital staff's inquiries about the chemical contents of the pepper spray and tear gas, making it difficult to treat protest patients effectively. Some have had horrific allergic reactions, leading to bubbles puffing up their skin.

Listening to speeches at the rally and drumming up support

This afternoon there was a rally in Belcher Bay Park in Kennedy Town. Normally it's where seniors take walks or young people jog in circles (literally), as the park is so over programed and not a lot of open spaces.

At first it seemed like a small group of about 200 at around 4pm, but things didn't get started until an hour later, by which time we heard the lawn behind us was full. It wasn't until afterwards could we see tons of people in black had occupied the park. It was pretty amazing.

There were a few speakers. The first were the organizers, one of them a man in his late 50s, or early 60s. He had applied to have the march go from Kennedy Town to Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park and the police kept saying no.

They police asked why and then speaker told us in his mind he was thinking, "Because Dr Sun Yat-sen was the FATHER OF THE REVOLUTION!" but he actually replied, " Because the park has a large space to hold everyone."

However as the march would pass by the liaison office, the police refused to give the green light. So that is why the gathering today was confined in such a small area.

A sea of people in black completely takes over the park

There was a Form 5 student who spoke, then two University of Hong Kong students, and then two seniors who had participated in the parents' rally in Chater Garden.

The woman told a story (as elderly people like to tell stories, she added): "On the day of the typhoon, I found a small snake in my flat. I was worried and asked my friends about it on social media and they said it wasn't poisonous. But I was still concerned about it so my friends told me to call 999 for the police to come.

"They said when the police come you better put away all your black clothes and things. At first I thought why should I? But then I thought best to just put them away. And they came and the police dealt with the situation.

"But I was thinking that snake -- even though it's not dangerous, it's still there," she said, alluding to the extradition bill. She felt it was best that it was not there anymore.

And then she finished her speech by encouraging people to take part in tomorrow's general strike, adding we should not buy anything tomorrow either. "So make sure you buy everything that you need tonight!"

Even the playground area has a mini Lennon Wall

After a few more speeches, my friend and I left, and when we turned to leave, we were overwhelmed by how many people were in the park. Many were young, but there were a few elderly people, all dressed in black and trying to listen. Even the playground area was occupied by protesters. But the further away we got, they could barely hear the speeches and were talking among themselves.

We could see more people coming towards the park, while people standing near the entrance were handing out free bottles of water and snacks. During the speeches, bags of McDonald's hamburgers were being handed out too.

A short distance away is a pub and we went there for a drink, just before 6.30pm. The waitress told us they may close at 7pm to "evacuate the restaurant because of the event nearby". I was very annoyed and told her we were just there and it was fine.

But we were shooed out just before 7pm, and we took a quick shot of a gorgeous sunset before I sent off my friend to the MTR station and I picked up a few things in the supermarket before heading home.

The only serene moment to capture the sunset this evening

By this point some roads were closed down -- it turned out protesters were already occupying roads around the park and took the opportunity to deface DAB legislator Horace Cheung Kwow-kwan's office.

All seems quiet in Kennedy Town tonight, though police cars have blocked the road going eastward towards Sai Ying Pun and the liaison office, where it is completely barricaded with giant water barriers.

However the protesters didn't seem to care for this target -- been there, done that -- and instead hit Causeway Bay, then Wan Chai, Wong Tai Sin, then Kwun Tong, then Mei Foo and Lam Tin...

Talk about running all over town!

But the police need to answer this -- in Causeway Bay why were 16 rounds of tear gas shot in 20 seconds? Is that really necessary? Seems like a big waste of money AND pollution that affects not only the protesters but also those living in residences nearby.

Meanwhile CARRIE WHERE ARE YOU?

Baking Smiles for Protesters

These mooncakes say "Hongkongers" at Wah Yee Tang Bakery

A bakery in Sai Ying Pun has shown its support for the anti-extradition bill protesters by producing funny mooncakes and cookies with protest slogans on them.

Wah Yee Tang Bakery began making mooncakes on Monday with phrases like "no withdrawal, no dispersal", "be water", "Hongkongers" and one with Cantonese swear words that the police shouted at reporters during clashes.

The bakery has been open since 1984

"I started making cheeky mooncakes last year, but I usually do quirky designs on my products throughout the year. This year there were some funny phrases [from the extradition protests], so I had the templates made," said the owner, who goes by the name of Naomi.

She is the third generation of her family to run Wah Yee Tang Bakery, that was founded by her grandfather in 1984. She now runs the shop with her mother.

Originally she had not thought of making the mooncakes with expletives against reporters, but Naomi was convinced into doing it after a customer -- who happens to be a journalist -- requested them as gifts to give to friends.

The cookie has the swear words police shouted at reporters

Naomi reports being very touched that so many customers come from far away to purchase her cookies and mooncakes. "It's like they are offering their support by saying, 'I'm by your side'," she says.

Although those who support the police are calling for people to boycott the bakery, saying its products are leading youngsters "astray", Naomi is undeterred.

"I'm not afraid. I'm sticking to my bottom line. Everyone must take their own stand. I have no control over how others see me. I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing. I haven't done anything which I feel has betrayed my conscience."

The small bakery is struggling to keep up with demand

She adds while everyone is very angry, once they buy the mooncakes and cookies they have a laugh. "I'm trying to turn negative emotions into positive ones. I hope everyone can get this message."

Wah Yee Tang Bakery
120-126 Second Street
Sai Ying Pun
2915 2263

The End of Microflats?

Can you live in a space the size of a parking space and stay sane?

Finally the trend of squeezing into inhumane spaces is ending.

Some developers who got onto the bandwagon of offering microflats are now left holding the bag, as many have several units that still haven't been sold and buyers are demanding more space for their buck.

A staggering ratio of two of every three homes built in Hong Kong since 2016 were built this year, of these 976 units, 461 were still unsold, most of them microflats.

The trend started in late 2014, with demand so high and not enough flats available, some developers started carving up big flats and making them less than 200 sq ft and charging up to 14 percent more when another block of flats were released into the market.

Flats in Tuen Mun that were subdivided even smaller

The highest price for a microflat was set this past May when a 190-sq ft flat from developer New world Development in Sai Ying Pun was sold for HK$6.52 million, or an eye-watering HK$34,315 per sq ft.

And can you believe that one developer was thinking of making flats less than 100 sq ft and selling them for HK$1 million in Tuen Mun, but then logistically it was impossible for construction workers to be able to physically fit the flat with all the amenities necessary.

In the end the developer squeezed out 356 units in a 19-storey building, which meant an unbelievable 29 units per floor at 130 to 140 sq ft each -- smaller than a standard parking space at 134 sq ft or a 20-ft shipping container at 158 sq ft.

Another developer, Filipino tycoon Lucio Tan's Eton Properties was ordered by the Hong Kong Lands Department to stop leasing co-living spaces at the prestigious address of 53 Shouson Hills.

18 luxury flats at 53 Shouson Hill were subdivided into 500

Eton had converted three luxury properties into more than 500 subdivided units, measuring between 60 and 1,200 sq ft with rent starting at HK$4,000 a month. The authorities ordered Eton to return all 18 flats to their original design.

One young couple, Joshua Lin, 27 and his wife, bought a tiny 160 sq ft flat in North Point. He took out a mortgage to pay for half of the HK$4 million cost of the flat, his parents helped him with the remainder. His mortgage payments are HK$8,500 a month.

"It's a challenge to fit a bed and a wardrobe into such a tiny apartment," Lin said, where the living room measures 97 sq ft. While the one-bedroom flat should be turned into a studio, it's worth more if it has a bedroom...

It's already a challenge for one person to live in 160 sq ft, let alone two people. Is this what Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had in mind as a way for young people to establish their lives in Hong Kong?

It's enough to depress and frighten them away from the prospect of trying to earn enough to get a bigger flat, and to have children.

Owning a micro flat because that's all they can afford is hardly something to aspire to...

Taste of Xinjiang in Western

Skip the diluted ketchup -- just eat this roasted lamb leg straight! So good!

Earlier this week I took three colleagues to have dinner at Ba Yi, the well-known Xinjiang restaurant in Western.

For one of my co-workers, the restaurant is around the corner from where he lives so it was quite surprising he hadn't eaten there yet.

Shredded potato with dried chillis and peppers

I duly made a reservation a few days before and pre-ordered a roasted lamb leg. Previous times when I came here, it was packed with diners -- the Tuesday evening we went it was a relatively slow evening.

In any event I ordered a few dishes to go with our lamb leg and waited with anticipation.

First to arrive at the table was the Xinjiang salad, and we had two portions split among four of us. Perhaps there were too many onions and not enough tomatoes, but it was refreshing with the cucumber, and a few peppers to make it interesting, marinated in vinegar.

Next came the main event -- lamb! A server showed us the whole lamb leg and then took it back to the kitchen to have it sliced up. It was in a word delicious. There was plenty of cumin to marinate the meat, that was extremely tender and juicy even though it was cooked through. Needless to say we polished the lamb off quickly. It was a winner.

Chicken stewed in a spicy sauce with noodles underneath

I also ordered some lamb skewers, but these were a complete disappointment -- how could they have been so different from the roast lamb leg? They didn't have much taste and not much meat on the metal skewers either. A mental note to never order them again!

Luckily I was redeemed by the shredded potato that's blanched, then stir-fried with dried chillis and thinly sliced peppers and seasoned with vinegar. It had a slow burn that everyone around the table approved of.

Finally another big dish arrived -- da pan ji or literally big chicken dish. I remember having it in Urumqi -- it was a massive platter and very spicy. This one was too, and towards the end the four of us struggled to finish it -- OK three. In the spicy scale it was past my threshold, and I ended up nibbling bits of it, including the chicken feet.

The dish featured a whole chicken, chopped and simmering in a flavourful spicy sauce with potatoes and chillis. It was served with thick noodles underneath, soaking up the sauce. In the end only the "bits" were left, or the non-meaty parts that no one had the patience to eat.

The restaurant cat hanging out at the reception desk

Thank goodness I had a big glass of lassi to cool me down, while two of my male colleagues downed four Tsing Tao each!

Meanwhile the restaurant's cat -- that had a big tummy -- had his dinner too. He must have a fantastic time picking up leftovers in Ba Yi.

When the bill arrived we were shocked -- just under HK$1,200?! How could that be! The guys paid up more because of their beer consumption and so us ladies had a cheap meal.

It was suggested we come back again when the weather gets colder, but we might come back earlier because of that amazing lamb leg..

Ba Yi

G/F, 43 Water Street

Sai Ying Pun

2484 9981

HK Housing Prices Continue to Soar

Can you live in a 209 sq ft home that costs US$1 million?

Just when you think property prices can't get any worse, they do.

A flat slightly bigger than a shipping container has been sold for HK$7.86 million (US$1 million), which is HK$37,651 per square foot. A shipping container is 165 sq ft.

The 209-square foot flat is located on Pokfulam Road in Sai Ying Pun, which is part of an 11-unit development built by Kowloon Development. So far the company has sold 60 percent of the flats at Emerald House that range from 209 sq ft to 310 sq ft and cost as much as HK$11.29 million.

The microflats are being built in Sai Ying Pun

And just as you are shaking your head in disbelief, the latest survey shows that 27 percent of Hong Kong people don't ever expect to own a flat. The survey by REA Group, a digital advertising firm that specializes in property, says of 1,003 respondents carried out by Nielsen, 16 percent have no plan to buy property at all because the prices are beyond their reach.

Home prices rose for the 22nd consecutive month in January. If the average Hong Kong person makes about HK$17,200 per month, it will take them 30 years of monthly income to afford a HK$6 million flat. That means not buying anything, let alone eating anything.

REA Group says this inability to afford housing leads to social issues like couples delaying marriage. And as young people can only afford tiny flats that minimizes the amount of stuff they can have in them, and living in tight quarters can also cause more friction between people. Also having to live in a small place long term is hardly good for one's mental health.

How much stuff can you squeeze into a microflat?

But that's the reality in Hong Kong -- the government isn't doing enough to step in to build social housing, or help young people get their foot in the door to help them towards owning a flat.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po isn't doing much to help this segment of people, only homeowners with a small break of not having to pay government rates for a whole year. Whoohoo.

If he helped more young people move a giant step forward closer to owning a flat, perhaps there would be more optimism in the city -- that there is hope, that they can feel proud of being in the city and feel more welcome as residents.

However it seems the government doesn't have that kind of long-term thinking. It only wants to build an even bigger war chest... for what?

Alternative Swimming

The stands in the pool make you feel like you're a competitive swimmer!

Last night I went to the Kennedy Town Swimming Pool looking forward to doing a few laps when a woman at the door explained the pool was closed.

There was a note that said "an unidentified object" was found in the pool in the afternoon and they had to disinfect it so it was closed until further notice.

I asked if the pool would be open tomorrow and she said it would.

So I came back this morning just before lunchtime and there was a large line of families waiting to get in. This time a man told me the pool was still closed and I asked what time it would open and he said for sure in the afternoon.

Located in Sai Ying Pun, the pool here is only indoors

He suggested if I wanted to swim I should go to the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool. Sounded like a good idea. I hadn't been to the pool in Sai Ying Pun for a long time, but worried there would be an overflow of people from Kennedy Town.

However, when I got there, I was surprised to see there wasn't just one, but two swimming lanes. It didn't say which one was the fast or slow lane, but I seemed to pick the right one as the men -- yes the men! were slow enough that I passed them when I reached the other side or they stopped for a break so that I could pass them.

That and also the fact that I only had 40 minutes to finish my target of 30 laps motivated me to keep going, which also helped train my endurance in the 50-metre pool. In the end I managed to get 32 laps done before a lifeguard instructed me to get out of the pool for the 12pm break.

What unidentified object was found in the Kennedy Town pool? Or maybe it's best I don't know...

Traditional HK Desserts

Clockwise from top left: Almond cream, steamed egg, black sesame, walnut

Tonight my relatives and I had dinner in Sai Ying Pun and then we walked over to Centre Street for some Chinese desserts at Yuen Kee Dessert.

It's a small shop, about the size of typical noodle establishments, and at 9.30pm was still busy with customers.

We managed to get a table for the four of us and had to quickly peruse the menu, as the waiter was already hovering over us with his pen and pad at the ready.

Finally we decided, made our orders and within minutes our desserts arrived.

Our absolute favourite has to be the signature steamed egg. It had the consistency of tofu, silky smooth, and a light custard flavour that wasn't sweet at all, nor savoury.

Second is the almond cream, full of flavour and even better with lotus seeds that have been simmering for a while so they were soft and added more texture and taste to the dessert.

We also liked the ground walnut soup, with its slightly roasted smell, and the walnuts weren't ground too finely, so it had a nice grainy texture.

The black sesame soup is supposed to be quite well known here, but we only thought it was so-so, very thick thanks to lots of corn starch, which meant it didn't have as much of the nutty black sesame flavour.

Another dessert we tried was the green bean soup which was thinned out, while the signature steamed sponge cake was nothing spectacular -- in fact it was rather bland and not that fluffy. Maybe it would have been better straight out of the steamer.

The total bill came to HK$158. It was a nice sampling of desserts, but we know for sure what to order next time!

Yuen Kee Dessert

G/F, 32 Centre Street

Sai Ying Pun
2548 8687

The Parking Spot Bubble

Parking spots are a hot commodity in Hong Kong for the uber rich

Hong Kong property analysts are saying people should invest in parking spaces because their value has risen 270 percent in the last 12 years.

A few days ago, a business executive paid a gobsmacking HK$5.18 million on a parking space in a residential development in Sai Ying Pun. It's not even Central.

One parking spot was sold here for HK$5.18 million

In 2005 the average price for a parking spot was HK$396,000, but as of April this year it's HK$1.47 million.

During the same 12-year period, flats rose 256 percent.

The reason for car parking spaces rising higher in value is that three government car parks have closed for redevelopment -- Tsuen Wan Transport Complex Car Park, the Middle Road Multi-storey Car Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, and Murray Road Car Park in Central.

Since 2013, the city has lost 1,888 parking spaces due to changing land use.

For the first five months of this year, prices for parking spaces have gone up 12 percent to an average of HK$1.46 million. During the same period, 3,013 parking spaces changed hands for a total value of HK$4.3 billion.

But if you're looking to break into the property market, owning a parking spot before having a roof over your head is absurd.

Murray Road Car Park (above right) has closed in Central

And how much rent can you charge for a parking spot? Not as much as if you rented the same amount of space to actually live in. It would take you forever to make back the money you paid for the spot. Not really financially viable.

Which makes parking spaces only in the realm of the super rich who need places to park their cars.

Real estate is not a game us ordinary folk will ever win at -- the rules keep changing to make it near impossible for us to have any kind of leg-up on the system.

So maybe speculating on parking spaces is the next big thing. Get ready for a really big bubble.

The Privilege of Parking

Can you imagine paying over HK$5 million to be able to park your car?

A Hong Kong executive has paid a world record HK$5.18 million (US$664,260) for a parking spot in Sai Ying Pun.

Kwan Wai-ming is the executive director of Huarong Investment Stock Corp and needed a third parking spot in The Upton, a new mixed business and residential complex.

The last record price for a parking spot was HK$4.8 million at 55 Conduit Road in Mid-Levels last October.

The price beat the record at 55 Conduit Road at HK$4.8M

In this case, Kwan probably lives at The Upton, having forked over HK$75.6 million in 2014 and 2016 for two units in the building, and then last January he bought two parking spaces at HK$3.78 million and HK$3.98 million.

To put this into perspective for ordinary folk, there's a parking garage across from The Upton where it costs HK$3,000 to rent a parking spot there.

But Kwan is paying for the convenience and security of having his cars in the same building.

The rest of us would use HK$5.18 million to buy a flat to live in -- if given a chance.

Ah, the lifestyles of the rich and obnoxiously loaded...