Kayaking in a Marine Park in Hong Kong

On the tranquil water in Hoi Ha Wan in Sai Kung

A good friend of mine took me to her happy place the other day and I can see why. 

We met up at Tiu King Leng MTR station and took a taxi to Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park (海下) in Sai Kung. It's about a half hour trip past Sai Kung city centre and into a geo-park area. 

My friend had arranged to rent kayaks -- my first time doing it -- and after packing all our items in waterproof bags we went down to the beach with life vest and paddle in hand. There were kayaks there waiting for us and we strapped our bags in, had water bottles on hand and then paddled out into a bay area. 

Fresh green algae that is soft and fuzzy

The water was so still -- and even better there was no one there on a weekday late morning. We were also socially distanced, with each of us in our own kayaks.

After a quick lesson of how to hold the paddle we were off. As an absolute beginner I was surprised how fast my friend was paddling, but she has been doing this for over a year and looked very comfortable being in the water.

While I like swimming, for me it took a bit of time to accept the fact that I was going to be wet all day as I dipped the paddle into the water on one side, then in the other which led to water falling onto my legs and lap.

But it was so nice to be on the water, just hearing the sound of the water as we paddled. 

Our first stop was to an area where she saw a beautiful blue and yellow fish about one foot long -- I was too far away to see but saw the pictures later. There also lots of small sea urchins and sea cucumbers! As it is a protected marine park people are not supposed to take these creatures out to consume, nor should they take the coral with them.

Very low tide here with lime green vegetation

We dragged the kayaks onto the mini beach nearby and began exploring the area. I even took a quick dip in the water which was a bit cold but nice to do a bit of breast stroke after not being able to swim in a pool since December. 

My friend got her snorkel kit out and saw lots of sea creatures in the water. I was just happy to be in a place I had never been before and exploring the area around me.

We also paddled out to where the World Wildlife Fund has a marine life centre, but it is currently closed. The centre also has glass bottom boats (currently raised), that are used for visitors to admire the sea life below.

Unfortunately the temperature of the water in that area was much colder so we didn't take a dip and instead headed across the bay to another mini beach.

Sea cucumbers don't mind being touched...

When we arrived there was very low tide -- my friend had never seen it that low before, revealing lots of rocks, coral, tiny fish and speckled shells. Again we wandered around and I ever dared to touch a sea cucumber! I was surprised it just stayed there as I gently touched it -- it wasn't slimy, but soft, much like the texture when eaten! Haha.

By now it was around 3pm and we slowly made our way back to where we started. Not only did I get a chance to learn how to kayak, but also get to discover my friend's favourite place that brings her joy and tranquility to help deal with all the stress in her life.

We had good conversation, and having so much to see around us took our focus away from the pandemic that has weighed all of us down mentally and physically for over two years.

Luckily the weather was overcast so it was a nice 23 degrees or so, but when I returned home I discovered my arms were bright red from the sun! Even my back was also a bit red too despite me putting on my T-shirt and life vest every time we returned to the kayak to paddle. Strangely my right arm is redder than the left! 

A giant piece of coral on land

But also when I came back home, I could still hear the water sounds in my head and it took a while to get acclimatised back to hearing manmade urban life. Amazing.

Youngest and Oldest Hongkongers Die from Covid

Thousands waiting, is this the most efficient way to fight Covid?

It was tragic to find out a three-year-old girl who was in critical condition with Covid-19 and no underlying health issues has passed away, the youngest victim of the virus so far, while a 100-year-old chronically ill woman also died, being the oldest fatality in Hong Kong.

And yet Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said today: "It is not an option to surrender to the virus", despite the healthcare system being completely overwhelmed. 

Even her deputy, Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu now needs to be isolated after his domestic helper was found to be infected with the virus, while pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee's chauffeur tested positive too.

Lee is isolating after his helper tested positive

Despite Lam's insistence on achieving "dynamic zero infection", she has not shown any indication of earnestly trying to fight the fifth wave as quickly and effectively as possible.

During the media briefing this morning she suggested that 3,000 flats from three public housing estates could be used as well as 10,000 hotel rooms to isolate people who have tested positive for the virus. Lam did not invoke emergency powers to demand the hotels give up the rooms as soon as possible, but instead has chosen to approach "industry leaders" to expedite the process.

After over two years, how many hotels are going to be willing to be turned into isolation facilities? Who among the staff -- who have no medical training -- would be willing to service these people knowing there would be a high risk of getting infected as seen from quarantine hotels?

And then Lam has suggested that 400 taxis be chosen specifically to ferry infected people to designated medical clinics that will process Covid-19 patients. Again, who is willing to drive these people around, knowing they have tested positive for the virus?

Some 400 taxis will ferry patients to clinics

This plan does not seem feasible, thanks to the government being caught seriously flat-footed knowing Omicron is an easily transmissible virus and seeing how it has affected people overseas -- just looking at Singapore -- and anticipating the worst-case scenarios and preparing for them.

In addition there are another 30 nurses and doctors in 28 hospitals and eight clinics and care homes that have also come down with Covid. Does Lam think that healthcare professionals are limitless? Many already migrated in the past year so there was already a serious shortage.

If that wasn't all, there were pictures circulating on social media of to 60 patients in gurneys outside the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po around 2pm, and at Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, about 40 patients treated outside on gurneys or in tents while others sat on chairs. They were given foil blankets if they complained about the cold.

How is this even acceptable in Hong Kong?

Patients in Sham Shui Po treated outside hospital

The best thing people can do to protect themselves and their loved ones other than wearing masks is to get vaccinated. The government is too overwhelmed to help anyone, so it up to all of us to look after ourselves and getting inoculated is the fastest (and cheapest) way to do that.

In the meantime spare a thought for the three-year-old girl's family. We have all been through so much, and yet we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet...

Smartphones Crowd Taxi Dashboards

This driver uses a lot of devices to hustle for customers daily

 

When you get into a taxi, does the driver have more than one mobile phone attached to the dashboard?

A colleague who hails cabs often will document the drivers' dashboard as well as the decorations by taking pictures and posting them on social media.

Cabbies claim they need at least four phones to be able to do their job efficiently and pull in as much as HK$40,000 (US$6,940) a month; without them they would make 40 percent less.

Taxi licenses are expensive and fares are cheap

One driver explained to a media outlet that he needed four smartphones and a tablet. The tablet is for picking up orders from several taxi apps, and two phones serve as walkie-talkies to communicate with other drivers for traffic information, road conditions, passenger hotspots and to refer orders. 

A third phone is to receive orders from Uber and the last one is his GPS device to check Uber hotspots when prices are surging.

"I don't want to waste my time looking for passengers on the streets or waiting at taxi ranks. All these tools help me manage my orders efficiently so I can seamlessly pick up passengers one after another," he said.

But now the government is considering limiting the number of devices on their dashboards. 

Transport minister Frank Chan Fan told the Legislative Council last month that the Transport Department was looking into regulating the number and location of mobile phones in vehicles, as well as the modes and purposes of their use.

Chan may regulate the number of devices in taxis

A law passed in 2000 stipulates drivers are prohibited from holding mobile phones in their hands or between their head and shoulders while the vehicle is moving. 

 However, the law does not cover reading information from a phone placed on the dashboard, or pressing the phone or swiping the screen as long as it is not in the driver's grip.

Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming pointed out the government pledged to study the issue in 2014 but nothing was done.

"This issue of taxi drivers placing too many smartphones on the dashboard has been going on for a long time. In an extreme case, one driver was found to have 13 devices," he said. "Some cabbies even use larger-sized tablets, which block their view of the road and affect their ability to drive safely."

He said they should be limited to two smartphones -- one for GPS and the other for communication.

But cab drivers say they are careful while driving and need many devices to be able to get as many fares as possible through car-hailing apps.

Old and new phones in this taxi

The real crux of the problem is reforming the taxi system in Hong Kong which has become too complicated, too old and too expensive. The taxi licences are worth HK$7 million a piece, the cars are 30 years old, the drivers average 70 years of age, and fares are very cheap.

So a driver needs to catch as much business as he can, and if a car-hailing app helps him find customers, he will use it. Government officials are so out of touch with the situation and have let the problem fester for so long that no one wants to fix it. The taxi system in Hong Kong needs a complete overhaul, but who is willing to tackle it?

The next best thing? Limit the number of devices on their dashboards...

Picture of the Day: Taxi Commendation Scheme

Good taxi driver? Take down all his info first

 

Yesterday afternoon I flagged down a taxi on Staunton Street near Tai Kwun in Central. At first the driver asked where I was going as he was a Kowloon taxi and needed to return the car, but agreed to take me in.

After a while I noticed in front of me was this sign: "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme", asking riders to scan the QR code and recommend your driver.

The nomination period already began on July 15 and goes on until September 30, and then the voting period is from October 22 to December 17.

When you scan the QR code, you have to enter the driver's name, mobile number, the taxi registration number and the license plate, when and where you got the ride from, and a section called "experience sharing" to add any other additional comments.

The form is exhausting to say the least, and what's the point?

Most people are not going to pay attention to fill out all these details and even the driver's mobile number? Obviously the people creating the form have not thought of the reality of having to fill it out.

And when do you fill it out? When a driver returns your smartphone to you or gets you across the harbour in 10 minutes?

We understand the taxi industry is trying hard to improve its services in its competition with car hailing apps like Uber, but this "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme" is not going to make drivers stop smoking in their vehicles, clean them better or have a sunnier attitude.

Though I have to say this driver had an Octopus reader and just as we were nearing my destination I asked if I could pay my ride with Octopus.

"You should have told me earlier," the driver replied with a surly attitude, turning it on.

He saved me the time and effort from having to fill out the form...

 

Contact-Tracing App Put to the Test

The contact-tracing app has not allayed fears of govt snooping

Since Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee's announcement Wednesday that from February 18 people will need to use the LeaveHomeSafe app to enter restaurants and other venues that were previously shut, the app has been downloaded 500,000 times, up from 55,000 from yesterday.

People must use the app from February 18

Probably related is that cheap mobile phones have been snapped up just to use this app. The cheapest phone is the Nokia C2 that costs HK$698, but it's sold out in both Fortress and Broadway. A slew of people must have purchased the phone yesterday as it's not a very popular model.

Although there is no need to register, but just download the app, there were concerns it would allow the government to mine more information about the user, such as access to photos, and wifi connections, which the authorities have said are blocked, but to be absolutely safe, people purchased a second phone.

It will be interesting to see if the contact tracing app really is helpful because so far health officials admit it has not been very effective mostly because people are not using it.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said Thursday even though people have downloaded the app, they don't necessarily use it.

Dr Chuang (left) says many don't use the app

"We always ask if the patients used the app. If they did, we'll get the data from their apps about where they have been at what time. The app would notify other users if they have been to the same places at the same time. We've done this less than 20 times," she said. "Many people who have downloaded the app on their mobile phones didn't use it." 

So from next Thursday there may be a surge in use of the app -- will the government's servers be able to handle the onslaught? 

The LeaveHomeSafe app allows users to scan a government-issued QR code at 70,000 places from wet markets to shops, restaurants and even parks. The person scans the code when they walk into the premises and then click the "leave" button when exiting.

The app can be used in taxis

In taxis, users can scan the taxi registration mark or manually input the registration mark. 

The concept is that if someone else is found to be infected and was at the same place and time as you, an alert will be made on the phone and send you some healthcare advice.

The government claims the records of a person's whereabouts are encrypted and only held in the phone for 31 days.

So we shall see if this LeaveHomeSafe app really works next week...

 

 

Hike to Kowloon Peak

A view of Kowloon and Hong Kong island in the distance

Today my walking buddy and I went up Kowloon Peak or fei ngo shan (飛鵝山) which is above Ma On Shan. We took the MTR to Shatin City One and began walking up a path of stairs. It was a good day to go, around 9-12 degrees Celsius and relatively clear.

Along the way we passed a group of young people, the girls already saying they had regrets when they were only at the beginning of the hike! 

Past the Gilwell campsite and the hills ahead

We soldiered onwards and finally got onto a path that was covered with rocks and tree roots so I constantly had my head down making sure I wouldn't trip. Many of the paths were quite narrow too, another reason to watch where we were going.

A few times we had to consult our map or ask a few people how to get there as there were some "intersections" along the way. While the paths weren't packed, it was good to see many like-minded people getting some fresh air. 

Finally we made it to a clearing and the views were outstanding -- on one side was Sai Kung, and on the other Kowloon below us, such as Kai Tak and beyond to Hong Kong island, with the convention centre and IFC in the distance. 

We kept going, and had to go up one hill and then the other (Elephant Hill) to get to a weather station and helicopter pad. The first hill was such a trek that we had to practically climb up the steep hill, grabbing onto large rocks for balance. 

Below is Sai Kung

Meanwhile others were coming down the same path, and that was even scarier -- one young woman slid down right beside me and landed on her bottom. Yikes. 

Some parts were relatively flat but meant passing low bamboo bushes. At each point the view below was more amazing and eventually we finally made it to the weather station and helicopter pad. One man was playing with his drone, while the rest of us took lots of pictures having succeeded at reaching this point! Phew!

Now how to get down? Off another part of the mountain was a path marked with wooden steps and we made our way which seemed relatively easy at first, but it seemed to never end. By this point it was 5pm and we saw people, including young families making their way up. I encouraged a young girl to keep going though she was breathing rather heavily, while two women were walking up, the second one carrying two heavy bags!

I asked why so many bags and the first one admitted she couldn't carry it anymore and was exhausted. I told them another 10 minutes or so they would make it to the top, but why were they carrying so much stuff? They wanted to go up in time for the sunset, but the hazy air didn't seem like a dramatic sunset would happen. Nevertheless I told them the view was definitely worth it and they carried on.

The weather station and helicopter pad!

Finally we saw large Chinese graves and then an actual road! Civilization! It was Fei Ngo Road, with lots of fancy homes on both sides. Who lives up here? Towards the bottom we caught a taxi down to Diamond Hill MTR and made our way back from there. 

What a trek! My legs feel like jelly, but the views were worth it. I probably won't go up there again anytime soon. We recorded a 12km trek, but it definitely felt much longer!

Justice Secretary Halts Two Private Prosecutions

Teresa Cheng has intervened in two private prosecutions this week

In Hong Kong, most prosecutions are brought on by the Department of Justice, though the common law system allows for residents to pursue charges under the Magistrates Ordinance.

Lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung was exercising that right, trying to privately prosecute over two incidents that happened during the protests last year. One was when a policeman shot 21-year-old protester Chow Pak-kwan at point blank range during a confrontation in Sai Wan Ho last November.

Ted Hui wants to get justice for the victims

The other was when a 59-year-old taxi driver, Henry Cheng Kwok-chuen, drove into some people in Sham Shui Po protesting over the government ban on using masks to hide identities last October.

However with the space of three days this week, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has intervened to halt both these prosecutions.

While the Department of Justice does have the final say in criminal prosecutions "free from interference", but both of them? In less than a week?

Hui accused Cheng of putting politics above the rule of law, saying: "Teresa Cheng has adopted improper means to terminate the private prosecution without providing any reasonable grounds."

He continued by saying her action jeopardized the right of the DoJ to have complete control over prosecutions "free from interference".

"This, in turn, becomes a support for violence used by the police and government supporters, upending rights and wrongs and seriously harming residents' right to bring private prosecutions under the common law," he said, vowing to lodge a judicial review to challenge the decision.

The moment when Chow was shot by a police officer

In her blog post in June, Cheng wrote private prosecutions "which are groundless or frivolous or brought out of improper motives or political considerations should not be condoned".

Do these two cases fit her above descriptions of those that should not be prosecuted?

In the case of Chow the student, he was shot in the abdomen and had to have one of his kidneys and half his liver removed because of the damage caused by the bullet. Chow has had to quit studying because he has trouble concentrating and needs psychological counselling. He was charged with attempting to steal a Hong Kong policeman's gun. Hui was trying to prosecute the police officer.

Meanwhile Hui also wanted to prosecute taxi driver Cheng, though he claims to have no idea how he lost control of his car. A 23-year-old woman suffered serious fractures to both legs when the vehicle mounted the pavement outside Cheung Sha Wan government offices before smashing a store front.

Cheng's taxi crashed into protesters last November

Right after, witnesses dragged Cheng out of the taxi and beat him up, leaving him with fractured ribs and had to have four stitches in his head. But he was never charged in the incident, though two other men at the scene were charged with rioting and later released on bail.

Hui will meet the justice secretary in about 15 days' time to discuss the latter case; maybe then she will reveal the real reason behind halting the prosecutions, which has only been done twice in 51 cases from 1996 to 2013...

More Covid-19 Cases than SARS

Social distancing was practiced at Repulse Bay beach today

Hong Kong has just surpassed a grim milestone -- more coronavirus cases than SARS 17 years ago. The city reported 64 new cases today, 60 of which are local, for a total of 1,777 cases. That is two more than the number of SARS cases in 2003.

The high number of cases of Hong Kong is highly concerning, with people still continuing to socialize in large groups. I walked with a friend from Ocean Park to Repulse Bay to have lunch and while the beach wasn't packed, there were many people congregated around The Pulse, a mini mall that has restaurants, cafes and shops.

People having too much fun on July 9

There are also reports of a "handover celebration dinner" held on July 9 where over 100 people without masks were singing and dancing together in a hall. Four people from that party tested positive for the coronavirus.

Up until a few weeks ago, Hong Kong was the envy of the world with its single digit cases (on some days there were none). That's because of the pretty strict protocol it established when people flew into the city, and disseminated lots of tips to the public on how to keep safe.

But then what happened? Complacency settled in and people got tired of social distancing.

The Hong Kong government needs to move faster to clamp down on the number of cases as soon as possible. This cannot wait another day. The vast majority of the cases are not traceable, making it harder to find the sources of the virus.

More testing needs to be done too. For example, while test kits are made available free of charge to taxi drivers, doing the test is not mandatory. How could that be? It seems like a half-hearted measure. While it is understandable people are anxious about finding out if they are positive or not, it would be better to know earlier than later in terms of treatment?

Why not make testing mandatory for taxi drivers?

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor must allow a good portion of the civil servants to work from home (the ones that can). There is no need for everyone to be in the office now. That would also allow private companies to follow suit. The less interaction with others at this time would be better.

Mixed messages makes it harder for the public to understand and respect the government's thinking. A muddled response only reveals its indecisiveness and gives the impression fighting the virus is not a high priority.

HK's Third Coronavirus Wave

The spike in cases these last few days are alarming HK

Today Hong Kong recorded 34 new local coronavirus cases and eight imported for a total of 1,365 which has alarmed local residents.

Of the local cases, 23 of them were from a seniors' home in Tze Wan Shan, and nine cases in Jordan and Choi Hung, including three taxi drivers. Earlier this week three other drivers tested positive for the virus.

While this number may seem tiny compared to other cities, Hong Kong is not used to having so many in one day, and especially such a high number of local infections, which suggests a third wave.

Chan announces new distancing measures

Starting from Saturday, restaurants can only operate at 60 percent capacity, with eight people per table, while at bars, the maximum per table is four people.

In gyms, party rooms and karaoke lounges can only have eight people.

Also, the government appealed to those working in public transport, such as taxi drivers, bus drivers, and elderly care homes, and the hospitality industry to get tested, as many of the new cases are from these sectors.

Secretary for Health, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-yee said: "Our target is not to achieve zero infection, but to control the [number of cases] to the level that our health care system can accommodate."

She added some of the latest infections were because people weren't wearing masks at work or in public areas. As a result, people will not be allowed to eat in cinemas and during theatre performances, while those who have finished eating in restaurants, should put on their masks.

Several taxi drivers have tested positive for virus

Chan suggests people should not share food, and order takeaway instead.

Here we go again.

If their employers allow them, many people are working from home again. Just when Hongkongers thought life was soon coming back to normal, it isn't...

Picture of the Day: Where's the Traffic?

The near empty Harcourt Road in Wan Chai towards Causeway Bay

This afternoon I had a lunch appointment followed by a meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong which is above Kowloon Station. I didn't finish until very late afternoon and had to get back to the office and so I took a taxi.

For traffic at 4.40pm there weren't that many cars on the road along the Western Tunnel, and then on Hong Kong Island we went along Lung Wo Road, passing by the Central Harbour front area where Clockenflap would have been set up by now if it hadn't cancelled, then cut onto Harcourt Road.

This main artery is usually choc a block with cars inching towards the Cross Harbour Tunnel, but since it has been blocked for a week by protesters, traffic was amazingly light. I could hardly believe it that I had to take a picture.

But once we got onto the Canal Road flyover, the regular traffic jam was back, slowly going up the on ramp, then passing Times Square before getting off. There were so many cars going towards the shopping mall that the taxi driver dropped me off a block away to avoid getting stuck.

The closure of the Cross Harbour Tunnel has affected hundreds of thousands of commuters daily and it is unclear when it will be reopened. But for the rest of us, having feeder routes to the tunnel completely empty have been a strange but welcome relief.

Hong Kong Habits Changed by Protests

Ricky Wong of HKTV sees a 40 percent jump in online sales since the protests

 

The anti-government protests in Hong Kong are now into their 21st week. This is the new normal for the city, and its residents are adapting the best they can.

With the pseudo curfew thanks to the MTR closing early, (now 11pm this week, but 10pm for Saturday and Sunday), it has changed the way people live in the city.

More and more people are shopping online for convenience

People are dining much earlier now, as restaurants need to close early so that their staff can take the MTR to get home. I've heard even wedding banquets, which typically start around 8pm, now finish by 9.30pm so that guests can make their way home.

At the same time taxis, Uber, buses and even trams are getting more business from people who would have normally taken the MTR.

The alternative is staying housebound and having everything delivered to you. Online shopping has gone up over 40 percent in Hong Kong, with people ordering prepared food to groceries, clothes and even furniture at the click of a mouse.

Before the protests people would have personally gone to shops because they were close by or they were purchasing something they had to examine in person. And grocery shopping... everyone picks their own produce, right?

However there are some people who now really depend on these services to continue functioning and it's created a boon for these delivery companies. We all need to eat, right?

The Rosewood offers a luxurious deal for a room

Hotels are hurting badly from so few tourists coming to Hong Kong and are pushing staycation deals to local residents. Some offers are too hard to pass up -- a room for a night plus dining credit that covers more than half the price of the room... Sad but true.

High-end hotels like Rosewood in Tsim Sha Tsui that opened earlier this year are offering two nights accommodation for the price of one night. If you are into over-the-top luxury, this is an unbeatable price. Personally I'd rather stay home, but there are some people who want to feel pampered.

Everyone in the hospitality industry, from hotels and restaurants to retail must be pressuring the government to do something to end the protests. But is Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor listening? The government is doling out subsidies for those in the transportation sector, and encouraged landlords to help their tenants. This isn't enough or much to give people hope the government is concerned about them.

Banquets now finish much earlier for guests to go home

As one chef-owner told me recently, now it's survival of the richest -- who has the deepest pockets to keep operating in these adverse times...

Hong Kong Needs Better Taxi Service Now!

There are too many complaints about taxi service in HK and no will to fix it

Hong Kong's taxi industry is in a horrific state, with complaints up 2.2 percent to a record high of almost 11,000 last year. 

Perhaps there are more complaints because customers have also used Uber and there is such a stark difference between the two services in terms of comfort, cleanliness, driving skills and friendliness of the drivers.

The government thinks people will pay more for better service

Though the government has not mandated the taxi industry to reform itself significantly -- like new vehicles or fine individual drivers for bad service, or insist on standardized courses they must take -- it has instead suggested customers will pay more for a premium service.

This idea was completely slammed by the Competition Commission, which released a 90-page document to lawmakers in the Legislative Council today. The competition watchdog said having a franchised taxi scheme where the starting rate at 50 percent more is hardly a benefit to the riders.

"While there are likely to be some consumers less sensitive about the fare they pay, it makes no economic or common sense to assume they will demand higher fares," it said.

The plan was to have some 600 franchised taxis or 3 percent of exiting cabs in the city offering this premium service. Who would pay for a more expensive taxi ride? No one!

Many people would rather have the option to use Uber

The commission suggested the taxi franchises come up with service proposals set at a minimum level. 

However, the government said it believed the franchised taxi services would offer better protection, more assured service quality, and more transparency on fares to passengers than existing illegal online hire car services.

While the government means well, people just want to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible without having to sit in a smoky-smelling vehicle with seats that sink one foot down, or be forced to listen to the taxi driver chatting to his friends, or listen to silly talk shows on the radio. And also don't get me started on why all the taxis in Hong Kong seem to be unavailable from 3.30pm to 4.30pm because the drivers are handing the taxi to another one.  

Hong Kong Taxi Owners' Association chairman Wong Po-keung did not think the scheme would meet the government's objectives to improve the service quality of existing cab drivers.

Some drivers have too many distractions

"It fails to look at the root cause of poor service. We have submitted many different proposals to the government in the past four years but it has turned a deaf ear," Wong said. "It is like refusing to heal a patient and creating a new person instead."

We agree. Civil servants once again are completely out of touch with the reality of the situation and are bending over backwards to not deal with the problems in the taxi industry head-on. 

Picture of the Day: Church for the Disabled

Located along a busy road in Kowloon is this church... for the disabled...

Yesterday I went to Homantin in Kowloon for an appointment and got there by taxi because it's not near the MTR station. Afterwards I walked along Princess Margaret Road and came across this Catholic church.

It's not just a church -- it's one for the disabled. But how is it accessible when it is located along a thoroughfare with no parking nearby and the only way to get there is by taxi or bus?

However more importantly, if God is inclusive, why a church specifically for the disabled? How are their services different from able-bodied parishioners?

I tried to find more information online and the only thing I could find was its address and times of services.

This place just brings up more questions than answers...

Helping Dementia Sufferers with Banking

The banking institution has trained 45 "dementia ambassadors"

There is greater awareness of dementia in Hong Kong, and it's good to see HSBC trying to tackle the situation by deploying 45 "dementia ambassadors" to help sufferers with banking issues.

The banking institution conducted a survey which found those suffering from dementia had problems understanding account information and remembering passwords.

As a result HSBC will be rolling out such services as voice identification systems, and more modern ATM services.

ATM machines will be quipped with voice identification

This is good news for Maggie Lee Nga-yee, executive director of the Alzheimer's Disease Association.

"Some elderly people with dementia repeatedly withdraw cash from their account and forget they have done it," she says.

According to the survey, more than 80 per cent of those suffering from the disease need help with banking from family members or carers, and nearly half said they helped sufferers with banking by opening a joint account with them. That's because they worried their loved ones with dementia could be a target for scammers.

Lee said a common problem was for dementia sufferers to have difficulty in understanding passbook information and bank statements, trouble talking to staff, and remembering their PIN or signature.

It is projected the number of people over 65 in Hong Kong will more than double in the next 20 years. Data from the Census and Statistics Department estimates the elderly will make up more than 36 percent of the population in 2066.

HSBC says it will have 160 dementia ambassadors in force by the first quarter of next year.

Some with dementia forget they have withdrawn money

It'll be interesting to see how these ambassadors have been trained to deal with various situations, as there are different degrees of dementia severity, and sufferers have different reactions to different circumstances.

Not only banking staff, but also front-line workers from bus drivers and taxi drivers, restaurant and retail staff need to be able to identify dementia sufferers and have some tools or training to deal with them in a positive and sympathetic way.

This is the reality Hong Kong is facing and needs to be prepared to deal with dementia. We cannot hide from this serious issue that should not be swept under the carpet.

Cost Trumps Lives in Safety on Coaches?

The mangled taxi after a coach plowed into it in Tsing Yi last Friday

In the early hours of last Friday morning, November 30, there was a fatal accident on the Cheung Tsing Highway in Tsing Yi that killed six people and injured 31.

A taxi had stopped on the side of the highway with its hazard lights on when moments later a coach carrying airport staff to work, crashed into it.

It turns out the 62-year-old driver, Fok Chi-sum, had been involved in a staggering seven other incidents of careless driving and speeding, including an accident (with no casualties) weeks before this fatal crash. Fok succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.

The coach driver had been working long hours before the crash

Apart from his poor driving record, he had also been working long 12-hour shifts without a proper four-hour rest in between shifts.

Why is it that people who do what are considered lowly-paid jobs have the most dangerous ones that can affect people's lives?

In any event, there are calls for coaches to have seat belts installed in them, but already operators have rebuffed the suggestion, saying it's too costly.

Tang Chi-keung, vice-chairman of the Public Omnibus Operators Association, said industry representatives had agreed at a meeting with the government to install seat belts on new coaches, but not existing ones.

"It's not as easy as just installing the belts. You need to tear up the flooring, replace the seats and then run safety tests," he said after the meeting.

"Doing so on an old vehicle could cost you HK$300,000 (US$38,382). The vehicle itself may only be worth some HK$100,000 to HK$200,000. It's not worth it."

Calls for retrofitting seat belts on coaches has been nixed

On new coaches, the coast would still be about HK$150,000," Tang added and that of the 7,000 coaches in Hong Kong, about half already had seat belts.

So cost trumps lives? Tell that to the grieving families of the victims of last week's crash. They were innocent victims who were only their way to work. It turns out four people, including the driver were thrown out of the coach -- were they wearing seat belts?

Passengers should have the choice to wear seat belts or not -- and so they should be provided in the coaches. Coach operators are working on very thin margins, but at the same time seat belts are an investment, not a liability.

For almost eight years I took a coach to work in the New Territories every morning and I made sure I was strapped in. However, there were sometimes where there were no seat belts or the ones provided were faulty or didn't seem secure. This is not acceptable.

Perhaps even worse is that the Hong Kong government is agreeing with the coach operators to not retro-fit old coaches with seat belts. How can that be? Is the government kowtowing to these coach operators for fear of not getting their support, like the taxi associations?

Even transport minister Frank Chan Fan said today 111 people had been killed in traffic accidents in the first 10 months of this year, up from 86 in the same period last year -- a jump of almost 30 percent.

Surely safety is more important than cost? 

A Storyteller Remembered

Shan Tianfang became a household name for his storytelling of the classics

Only today we heard about the passing of Shan Tianfang, who was a well-known storyteller in China that many taxi drivers would listen to on the radio.

Shan died on September 11 of organ failure at the age of 83.

People enjoy listening to his renditions of classical Chinese novels over the airwaves -- he recorded over 110 stories for radio and television which means about 12,000 episodes spanning over 60,000 hours.

He told stories in the pingshu tradition, where the performer was dressed in a Chinese scholar gown and sat behind a desk on stage with a folding fan and a wooden block that was used like a gavel.

Shan performed pingshu, starting out in tea houses

In pingshu, the performer tells a legend from memory and uses different voices and exaggerated gestures, as well as a bit of commentary or historical context. That meant a pingshu performer had to do a lot of research to give the stories much more detail to make them more believable.

Usually these storytellers performed in tea houses, though Shan would adapt to gain an even wider audience with the introduction of radio and television.

But when Shan was growing up he didn't want to become a performer -- his mother was an actress, his father a musician who played the sanxian, a three-stringed Chinese lute. He along with his parents and four sisters lived an itinerant lifestyle which Shan was keen to avoid, along with the financial insecurity.

He wanted to study medicine, but in the early 1950s his father was wrongly imprisoned; his mother left the family and so Shan had to work, apprenticing under a pingshu master before he joined a folk arts troupe in 1956 in Anshan, a town in northeastern China known then for its tea houses and pingshu performers.


Shan did well in the tea house circuit until the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, and he was branded a "counterrevolutionary" and sent to northeastern China to do manual labour.

These are copies of his scripts

After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, he got back to performing and found audiences were keen on entertainment other than party-approved propaganda. He tried his luck in radio and quickly found it was very different from performing in tea houses.

There was no need to dress up and have props, and that there was no audience to give instant feedback. As a result Shan had to use the three recording technicians in the studio as his audience and adjusted his performance accordingly.

His first recording was debut on Chinese New Year in 1980 and it is believed some 100 million people tuned in to the 56 hours over which it was broadcast.

Over six decades Shan recorded such famous Chinese classics as "White Eyebrow Hero", and "Sanxia Wuyi". He also did dramatizations of historical figures like politician Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms period and Lin Zexu, a scholar-official from the Qing dynasty who was a catalyst for the first Opium War.

Audiences liked to listen to his stories because he made complicated historical stories easier to follow and made the characters more relatable. "You feel you could relate to the characters in his stories, even though they lived a long time ago," said one Beijing taxi driver surnamed Zhao.

After his retirement in 2007, Shan tried to foster another generation of pingshu artists, even mentoring young people. But as more storytellers like Shan passing away, this oral art form may also die with them...