Tale of Two Cities

Singapore will soon scrap the outdoor mask mandate

Hong Kong and Singapore have always been rival cities. When the pandemic hit, the virus looked out of control in the Lion City, while Hong Kong shut down its borders and imposed strict quarantines.

But today over two years later, the two metropolises have gone completely different directions in their response to Covid-19 and the contrast could not be more stark.

Lee made the happy announcement today

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is still imposing strict social-distancing measures on residents, and expecting them to report positive Covid-19 tests that will result in them being sent to jail-like isolation quarters. While the flight ban on nine countries will be lifted on April 1 and travellers will only need to hotel quarantine for seven days, they will still need to self-monitor and have a final test on the 12th day to confirm they are indeed negative.

Across the pond, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that the outdoor mask mandate would be scrapped, fully vaccinated travellers could enter the city state quarantine-free, and his government was working towards a full resumption of air and land travel with its neighbour, Malaysia.

Singapore is obviously moving towards "living with Covid", compared to Hong Kong's "dynamic zero Covid", where we are still not sure what "dynamic" means.

Nevertheless, Lam was on the defensive today when asked if Hong Kong would follow Singapore's lead.

Lam is still pursuing "dynamic zero Covid" policy

"As I've also said on many occasions, the policies and measures to be adopted by each government in combating the Covid-19 epidemic will differ. I don't think that there's one size that fits all. I also don't believe that there are only two pathways," she said.

"That's why I said that perhaps it's not meaningful to ask us to choose whether we're going for route A or route B."

So does she mean there's a third or fourth pathway?

Lam also refused to be drawn into the debate as to whether Singapore had snatched the title of "Asia's global hub" from Hong Kong.

She argued Hong Kong remained an attractive financial centre and aviation base, as well as "a good place to live and work".

Perhaps before the coronavirus pandemic erupted in January 2020?

Children playing outdoors must wear a mask

It's 2022 and Hong Kong is struggling to survive economically. Bloomberg has released a report saying nearly 50 percent of European firms intend to either fully relocate staff out of the city or partially as a direct result of the draconian Covid-19 restrictions.

But Lam seems to think people and companies are still patiently waiting.

"I remain very optimistic that once this wave subsides, we'll pick up on the earlier discussions [on reopening the mainland border], and at the same time we'll be able to open up to the rest of the world," she said.

The rest of the world has moved on, Carrie... Hong Kong has already been long forgotten...

Today the city recorded 13,074 cases, of which 7,342 were from rapid antigen tests. Another 201 deaths were logged, including 42 backlogged. There are now over 1.1 million Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong and 6,770 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Finally, Some Loosening of Restrictions

Lam delivered some good news to Hong Kong residents today

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has finally loosened some restrictions, but social-distancing measures are still in place until at least April 21.

Those stuck abroad in the nine countries that were banned for months, including Canada, the United States, Australia, India, Nepal, and Britain, can finally come back direct from April 1. In addition travellers coming to Hong Kong will need to show a PCR test no more than 48 hours before boarding. When they arrive and test negative, they can quarantine in a hotel for one week if their PCR tests are negative on the fifth day, and RAT tests are negative on day six and seven.

HK residents in nine countries can return April 1

Also Lam said universal testing was indefinitely postponed for now until the fifth wave was under control and needed to flush out the rest of the infections. She cited how tens of thousands of staff would be needed to be mobilised for this operation, something that would be difficult to accomplish well in Hong Kong's environment.

If the number of cases go down further this month, then social-distancing measures will be further relaxed in three phases. The first would be having four people to a table in a restaurant and dining until 10pm, while gyms, beauty parlours and religious venues would reopen along with museums and sports venues run by the government.

Then at a later date, phase two would entail bars, pubs, karaoke lounges, swimming pools and public beaches can reopen, restaurants could have up to eight people per table and open until midnight.

From April 21, people can eat four to a table

In the third phase, all restrictions would be lifted on restaurants and bars, and opening hours extended.

Remember the students currently on their "summer break"? That all ends on April 19 when face-to-face classes resume. Lam also encouraged students to get their jabs.

No sooner had she made the announcement on lifting the ban on the nine countries did Hong Kong residents overseas start trying to book for tickets. Airlines and hotels were hearing the announcement at the same time and were probably scrambling to establish schedules, rooms and prices.

It was also announced yesterday that people need to get their booster by May 31 instead of the end of June in order to be able to enter many public places, such as restaurants, shopping malls, government offices, universities, hospitals and hair salons to get people vaccinated.

Children are encouraged to get vaccinated

Interesting to see what unvaccinated people have to say about pushing up deadlines. They will be further shut out of daily life in Hong Kong while the rest of us are moving on.

Also interesting was that Lam insists the government is not adopting the strategy of "living with the virus", but perhaps she has been given a directive that it's time to loosen up a bit for the sake of the economy...

Singapore's Opening -- Any Takers?

The Lion City is welcoming visitors from HK and Macau

 

Just as the travel bubble or corridor between Hong Kong and Singapore was officially dead, the Lion City announced it would receive visitors from Hong Kong and Macau without quarantine from August 26.

It is part of a months-old scheme Singapore has with China, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Iswaran says two cities have different strategies

Singapore residents, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving from Hong Kong and Macau can go back home as early as Saturday. 

Travelers from Hong Kong and Macau don't even need to be vaccinated, and only need to have a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test. However, they would still need to quarantine upon their return to their respective cities.

The travel bubble was pronounced dead according to Singapore transport minister S. Iswaran, as both cities' pandemic strategies differed, "with Singapore now taking steps towards becoming a Covid-resilient nation".

Meanwhile Hong Kong, following Beijing's lead, is trying to keep it at zero Covid-19 cases, which many, including the international business community in Hong Kong are clamouring is unrealistic and makes it another reason to move operations elsewhere.

Can HK really reach zero Covid-19 cases?

So... anyone in Hong Kong rushing to buy tickets to go to Singapore?

Didn't think so...

Pandemic Woes Continue

Interesting vaccination loopholes pop up as incidents happen

 A few months ago it was discovered that people in Hong Kong signed up to get vaccinated in one place but showed up at another (and got a different vaccine).

This man went to the wrong centre and wrong jab

Now there's a case of a 30-year-old Singaporean man who was inoculated with the Moderna vaccine in his home state, came back to Hong Kong where he works and got two BioNTech jabs so that he could have a local record of being vaccinated in order to go to bars.

Hong Kong authorities have warned they may prosecute the man for his "extremely selfish and irresponsible" behaviour.

Health experts also believe getting four jabs is excessive and could have harmed his health. The incident also revealed a loophole that healthcare workers at the vaccination centre did not ask if he was inoculated overseas. 

Are you ready for pandemic traveling to Europe?

But why would anyone think to ask that question when the vast majority of people have not left Hong Kong in over a year and a half?

There were also concerns that those to administered the jab to him would be in trouble for wasting vaccine resources. This is also excessive, considering there are more than enough vaccines going around since many people still don't want the jab.

It's a curious case and crazy desperation on the Singaporean's part to have a drink in a bar.

Meanwhile there are some people who are so desperate to travel now that a small tour group has flown to Europe with a tour guide. They all did the requisite antibody test and will be in hotel quarantine when they arrive back in Hong Kong.

A small Hong Kong tour group flew to Europe

"It's the first tour package we have had since late February last year when the coronavirus pandemic spread, and borders closed everywhere," said Miramar Travel general manager Alex Lee Chun-ting.

He said the company received more than 30 inquiries over the past few days on arranging private travel plans.

"After being stuck in Hong Kong for more than a year, many avid travellers are itching to get out," Lee said. "But now they're looking for experiences away from city centres, they want to stay in boutique hotels instead of chain hotels, and they also want to be closer to nature."

Tours advertised on the Miramar Travel website are priced from HK$12,000 to HK$23,500 (US$1,545-US$3,035) -- about 30 percent more than usual and visiting Germany, Italy and the UK.

Travelers are interested in being closer to nature

However Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory medicine specialist, urged Hongkongers to avoid leisure travel as the Delta variant had spread across Europe, Britain the United States and Southeast Asia, warning returnees may bring the mutation into Hong Kong.

"Based on how the Delta variant has spread, we can't determine the countries which adopted a 'live with the virus' approach have been successful at this point," he said.

Indeed.

HKG-SIN Travel Corridor Further From Reach

The chances of visiting Singapore are even more distant now

The long-awaited Hong Kong-Singapore "travel corridor" -- instead of bubble, in the hopes it will bring better luck -- looks even more distant now, as the Lion City has decided to pursue a different strategy from Hong Kong when it comes to dealing with Covid-19.

Singapore plans to allow quarantine-free travel and large gatherings, and even potentially halt massive contact-tracing operations and daily case counts as the number of vaccinations rises. As of Sunday 38 percent of the city state's population have been fully vaccinated, with the goal of reaching two-thirds by early August.

Lam says Singapore side needs to be vacinated

This is in contrast to Hong Kong which is aiming for zero infections and its painfully slow uptake in vaccinations. Currently its inoculation rate stands at 22 percent fully vaccinated, 32.6 percent with one jab.

The divergent paths has led to Hong Kong officials and health experts pondering if this bilateral travel corridor is still a good idea, even though Singapore is high on the list of preferred destinations.

While almost all of Hong Kong's recent infections have been imported, University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung warned on Monday that Singapore's plans for reopening could leave Hong Kong exposed to a higher risk of variant strains if and when the long-delayed travel bubble was finally launched.

Hong Kong has a slow uptake in vaccines

Today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said both governments may need to consider if participants of the travel corridor should be vaccinated as part of the requirement for participating in the travel bubble. Hong Kong had already required its residents to be fully vaccinated to take part.

One would have thought that was one of the first requirements, no?

The travel bubble -- I mean travel corridor -- has been delayed twice, last November and then in May this year.

However, with the fear of variants on the loose and Singapore not on the same page as Hong Kong in stamping out infections, one wonders if this travel corridor is ever going to happen.

Dr Ho is concerned about variants coming to HK

Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Society of IATA Passenger Agents, a coalition of the largest travel agents in Hong Kong, agreed the advantages of the Singapore travel bubble would pale in comparison to those similar arrangements with the mainland and Macau. He also predicted the travel corridor with Singapore will not start anytime soon.

"We still haven't sealed the deal with Macau and the mainland," he said. "[Under the new measures], if we start the travel bubble with Singapore, we will bear a big risk."

There is still no end to this pandemic in Hong Kong... 

Singapore-HK Travel Bubble Off Again

 

In November the travel bubble was postponed, and now again

The Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble is on hold -- again.

Today it was announced the arrangement where Hong Kong and Singapore travelers would not have to quarantine in each destination was called off due to the rising number of cases in the Lion City.

In the past week Singapore reported 42 cases, including 11 on Monday, which went over the threshold for holding the travel bubble. The city has banned dining in at restaurants, and limited social gatherings to two people in a bid to contain the virus.

Singapore saw a spike in cases this past week

Originally the scheme was supposed to happen on November 22, but it was cancelled the day before when Hong Kong went through a fourth wave. Now both cities have caused postponements.

Those who were keen to travel were booked for the first flight that was planned for May 26, but now will have to wait until at least June 13 to see if the travel bubble will be back on.

Nevertheless, Hong Kong officials said in a statement that both governments remain "strongly committed" to launching the scheme "in a gradual and orderly manner".

"The two governments will continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation in both places, including the effectiveness of the enhanced anti-epidemic measures introduced by the Singapore government, which has taken effect from yesterday (May 16) and would last till June 13," the statement said.

"During this period, both sides will continue to maintain communication, exchange relevant data and statistics, and review developments closely before deciding on the way forward."

HKers would rather go to China, not Singapore

Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Society of IATA Passenger Agents, a coalition of the largest travel agents in Hong Kong, estimated about 4,000 travellers from both cities were affected by the travel bubble busted again.

"The bubble is fragile," he said. "Singapore is not the biggest tourist destination for Hong Kong people, after all the industry is more keen on having a travel bubble with mainland China or Macau."

He urged Hongkongers to get vaccinated to help make the cross-border travel bubble a reality.

And watching the spike in cases in Taiwan should also be another wake-up call for people to realize that the best way to control the pandemic is to protect themselves by getting the jab. We cannot keep borders shut down forever...

 

HK-Singapore Travel Bubble Postponed

Diehard travelers will have to wait another two weeks

 

Hong Kong recorded 43 new coronavirus cases today, 36 of which were local, seven imported, on the eve of the inaugural travel bubble between the city and Singapore.

While the threshold was not met, it was alarming enough to postpone the travel bubble for two weeks.

Travel bubble was to start tomorrow

Yesterday the trip was still going to go ahead, but with Hong Kong passengers being tested after they landed in Changi Airport. But then the high number of cases today made the start of the travel bubble untenable.

Those 200 people who had booked and paid for the flights had to jump through a lot of bureaucratic hoops, applying for a permit from Singapore, getting tested for the virus and recording the negative result.

Now that's all made null and void and they will have to do it all over again two weeks from now.

Is it all worth it? To Singapore?

Many Hongkongers don't care to go to the Lion City; they would rather go to Taiwan, Japan or even hop over to Macau for the weekend.

But for some reason the travel bubble is with Singapore first, and for those dying to travel somewhere, they're going to have to wait another two weeks longer.

Singaporeans are keen to go to Hong Kong

In the meantime Hong Kong needs to seriously clamp down on infections as quickly as possible, as there are already 60 preliminary positive cases for tomorrow, signalling the city is probably well into its fourth wave.

Many of the clusters seem to stem from dance clubs and party rooms.... did the government not know these kinds of places exist? It's quite shocking to see the numbers spike so quickly. Anyone who visited any of the 14 dance studios and clubs since November 1 will be forced to go for a mandatory test... but will people actually admit they went there and comply?

Infectious disease experts had been predicting the fourth wave, and last week with the number of cases quite low, it was hard to fathom the possibility, especially with practically everyone wearing masks.  

But alas Hong Kong is suddenly seeing large numbers of positive cases. What is going on?

Hong Kong's Social-Distancing Measures to Continue

Social-distancing will continue for another week with case numbers still high

Hong Kong recorded 44 new coronavirus cases today, 31 of which were locally transmitted, 20 of them related to other cases.

Before the regular briefing by the Centre for Health Protection and the Hospital Authority, there were erroneous news reports that the dine-in ban would be relaxed so that people could eat in restaurants until 9pm or 10pm starting from Wednesday.

Only two people can dine per table these days until 6pm

However, that information was soon quashed when the government announced social-distancing measures would continue for another week until August 25, which include only two people can eat per table with restaurants having 50 percent capacity, and they can only dine from 5am to 6pm. Meanwhile masks must be worn outside, including while exercising.

So that bright hope to have dinner in a restaurant was extinguished and besides it was too short a notice for eateries to even prepare to open within two days.

With regards to the existing clusters, there are now 65 cases at the Kwai Tsing container terminals, which health officials are racing to contain. But the virus has exposed the plight of the workers there, who seem to work long shifts. They share a common area for meals, showers and even beds for sleeping.

The Kwai Tsing container terminal has seen 65 cases so far

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the CHP described it as the staff there living like a family, eating together, using the same showers and beds.

Why did the supervisors or even bosses of these container terminals not know these workers could not practice proper social distancing in this kind of an environment and that they needed more space? The workers themselves were possibly too worried about their jobs to complain, or they are so used to this that they didn't think it was a problem.

The CHP has apparently inspected the area, though it was not clear if it was properly disinfected.

Another interesting case is about a 33-year-old man who had contracted the virus in March in Hong Kong, got better by April, but then went to Spain earlier this month and came back testing positive for the virus.

They are testing him to see if the strain is the same as the one in Hong Kong or different. Either way it will be interesting to see how this case develops. But more importantly, why was he traveling?! Did he really need to go to Spain?!

Dr Chuang says container workers live together "like family"

Some people are traveling because they feel entitled or that they don't want to waste their precious holiday time in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile the rest of us are not even interested in going through all the trouble of traveling let alone the increased chance of being infected by the virus and are staying put.

It's just crazy to think there are people out there who don't think the virus will affect them, but in this case this man is infected again. Worth all that effort?

Picture of the Day: Clear Skies

Clear skies over at Kowloon side this evening

This past weekend was a complete washout with Amber, Red and even Black rainstorm warnings. It was quite amazing to see how much rain could come down and not put Hong Kong under water.

Finally the skies are clearing again and today was the start of a gorgeous day (that I spent in the office) and looked out the window to see blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

Those clouds continued to appear this evening as I walked home from Central.

The conversation these days is not only about the weather but wondering when they can travel. Many are having cabin fever and itching to flee Hong Kong even if it is for a few days, as that is what they would have done had it not been for the pandemic.

Many are drawing up wish lists of where they want to travel, but when Hong Kong continues to impose a quarantine for two weeks for returning residents up until at least September 18, that has made a lot of anxious people more frustrated, cooped up in their flats.

Some have taken to hiking regularly in the New Territories, or visiting the outlying islands as a mini overnight trip to make it feel like a holiday. Others splash out on a staycation in some of the city's top hotels for a treat.

It's interesting to see how people have dealt with this quasi lockdown situation, and seem more concerned about not being able to travel than how the national security law will affect them personally.

It's all about priorities, right?

Not News We were Hoping For

Professor Yuen says the coronavirus may not go away until the end of the year

If you thought the coronavirus would disappear in a few months, you will be horrified to find out one of Hong Kong's leading microbiologists says the epidemic will not end this year. We're only in the beginning of March.

To date Italy has over 7,300 cases, and 366 deaths

University of Hong Kong Professor Yuen Kwok-yung says COVID-19 has spread all over the world, making it very difficult to contain. And while the numbers of new cases seem to be slowing down in China, the epicenter of the virus, there are concerns about it being imported from other countries like Italy, South Korea, Iran.

While the virus may slow down in the summer, it could have a resurgence in the winter.

He believes the epidemic will not end until a cheap antiviral or vaccine is available, or the majority of the population had contracted the virus and developed a natural immunity.

Iran has over 6,500 confirmed cases, 237 deaths

Currently anyone flying into Hong Kong from Iran, the city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, and three regions in Italy will have to undergo and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The government is mulling over extending quarantine measures to people traveling from France and Germany.

Hong Kong now has 115 confirmed cases and two deaths.

And Yuen is also strongly suggesting people not to travel outside of Hong Kong until the end of the year. "When the epidemic is serious, avoid traveling to other places unless necessary," he says.

Time to stock up on more masks, toilet paper and sanitizer?

Yuen believes it is too early to tell if China will have the coronavirus under control by April as experts there have been predicting.

Does this mean we'll see more panic buying in the city for masks, rice, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and so on to last until December?

You have been warned...

Stuck in Hong Kong, Nowhere to Go

A tourist takes a picture inside the empty Duomo cathedral in Milan

With the coronavirus spreading to more than 77 countries, there are fewer and fewer places us here in Hong Kong can travel to without having to under go 14 days of quarantine.

Since Friday, Hong Kong has 106 cases, Singapore 130, and Macau has 10 -- and no new cases for the past month which is impressive. But the ferries that go to Macau at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan are still docked and idle.

Hong Kong Airport is eerily empty most of the time

From Monday, Hongkongers' favourite destination, Japan will impose a two-week quarantine on travelers from China and South Korea, while Hongkongers will not be able to get visas. Those who can still travel to Japan can only arrive at either Narita or Kansai airports.

There is also a concern that passenger flights between Hong Kong and Japan could soon be cancelled, which means people's cravings for Japanese food products -- from milk to radish to sashimi -- could be disrupted, as many food products are flown in daily thanks to passenger flights.

Looks like not only Japanese restaurants, but also others that use Japanese ingredients will be affected... there could possibly be no more Hokkaido scallops or sea urchin, or the famed tuna to fermented beans called natto that my colleagues enjoy eating...

From Monday Japan imposes more travel restrictions

Meanwhile if you are traveling to Thailand, then you have to check in with the authorities daily about your health authorities. The same goes for South Korea... but why would you go there now with over 6,000 cases?

The Philippines, Israel, Taiwan, and Bahrain have either banned travelers from Hong Kong or imposed a 14-day quarantine. No point in going to these places either.

You could go to Europe, but Italy would not be a wise choice (3,858 cases), nor Germany (534 cases) and France is about to call it a serious health crisis (423 cases).

And then if you were going somewhere, aren't you worried about possibly catching something on the flight?

Homemade dumplings seasoned with balsamic vinegar!

Best just to stay put for now... and continue to flex those culinary skills in the kitchen!

A colleague I haven't seen in a month came back this week and she practically stayed home the whole time, cooking three meals a day. "I have to say my cooking improved!" she observed, nor did she mind working from home.

One good thing from this is people eating healthier now that many are cooking at home. Wonder if they will continue to do so after the coronavirus eventually goes away...

 

Coronavirus Epidemic Surges Globally

Putting on a decorative mask for carnival and a mask to prevent coronavirus

The number of coronavirus cases around the world is accelerating, making people wonder if we are entering a pandemic.

It was shocking to hear of cases in Iran -- it was discovered on February 22 when a Canadian woman flew back to British Columbia who had flu-like symptoms and was later tested positive. And now Iran has at least 45 cases and 12 deaths.

Iranian women wearing masks and gloves for protection

Reports say patient zero was a merchant from Qom who regularly traveled to China, but because of the travel restrictions he flew around to different countries before getting to China and back. Patient zero has since died.

Most of the cases in Iran seem to be centered in Qom, with some unsubstantiated reports saying as many as 50 people have died there. The sudden spike in cases has raised panic in the country, where there is a lot of mistrust of the government.

Fear is also in Italy, where over 219 confirmed cases were recorded in northern Italy, in Lombardy and Veneto, near Venice. The authorities have shut down museums, schools, fairs, markets, and even cancelled the last day of the carnival in Venice.

South Korea has also seen a surge in cases too, of over 800, half of which are from the Shincheongji Church of Jesus, where apparently worshippers are not allowed to wear masks or glasses, and they must attend service even if they are sick, and after service must break out in groups for Bible study or go out and proselytize. Huh.

Tourists wear masks as they visit St Mark's Square in Venice

Several hundred confirmed cases and seven deaths in South Korea has prompted the Hong Kong government to issue a Red Outbound Travel Alert to the country. Starting from midnight tonight local authorities will not allow anyone to come into the city except for returning Hong Kong residents.

Any Hongkongers who have been in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province in the past 14 days will be subject to a 14-day quarantine in Fo Tan in the New Territories.

Seems strange the Hong Kong authorities would raise this travel alert for South Korea, but not for China which has the vast majority of the cases at over 77,000 and over 2,500 deaths...

Speaking of China, someone might have been sacked after an announcement was made lifting measures for people who are not Wuhan citizens with no symptoms to leave the city.

The Shincheongji Church of Jesus has been shut down

But four hours later the announcement was retracted, saying it has not been studied and approved by leaders, in other words Beijing.

China's internal communications are in disarray, and one wonders if the messenger overlooked telling the central government about this message before pressing the "send" button...

There are so many missteps happening -- many due to caught completely unprepared for the coronavirus possibly landing in their country to not advising residents the best way to protect themselves.

We are hardly out of the woods yet in this coronavirus epidemic...

China's Painful Economic Woes

The chances of finding a job is harder with more people out of work

The New York Times recently reported how the economic slowdown in China is affecting its workers and it's very worrying.

It's not just the factory workers and construction workers who are hurting -- it's also the white-collar ones with university degrees, making them wonder how stable their futures are.

There are fewer jobs available, some companies reporting layoffs of up to 30 percent in firms that employ hundreds of people, while jobs ads across all sectors have dropped by 10 percent. Start-ups have had it the hardest with new positions falling 51 percent in the third quarter of 2018 from a year earlier.

Not just factory workers, but white-collar ones are laid off too

Just after Spring Festival in February, Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-sharing and taxi-hailing service, told employees that it would cut 2,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its workforce.

Previously the Chinese government would create an economic stimulus by throwing money at infrastructure projects like bridges and airports, and that would generally solve the problem, but not anymore.

Fraser Howie, co-writer of three books on the Chinese financial system says now, "there is no obvious catch up, and therefore it makes it all the more important that China makes important, difficult decisions to move forward."

The government really should be restructuring its state-owned enterprises that have grown into lumbering behemoths but they are the elephants in the room that aren't being addressed. Instead the government is in denial and hoping things shall pass, but perhaps not this time.

The economic slowdown is impacting young professionals like Sherry Xu, a 34-year-old finance professional who did all the right things, studying at a prestigious university and then rising up the ranks of the finance industry.

Infrastructure projects aren't solving China's economic issues

And then recently, right after she had just pitched a group of potential investors Xu was called into a meeting with human resources who told her that her employer, a financial firm was having difficulties and she would be laid off.

Xu then accepted a job as a freelance contractor with the same firm for half her previous salary. "The job marketing isn't looking good. I feel this time, it will be harder than ever for me to find a job."

Not only that but people's budgets have tightened which means less disposable income for shopping, dining and travel.

Maybe it's because of this worrying sentiment that the government just announced on Friday the May Day holiday would be extended to four days instead of one in a desperate bid to stimulate the economy.

But really, who is in the mood to spend when their futures are uncertain?

Picture of the Day: Uni Cup Noodles

Uni in Cup Noodles? Not really worth it, but interesting...

A young relative of mine likes to travel to Japan whenever he can get a cheap ticket. He's going there again in a few weeks, but about a month ago he went to Tokyo and brought back some snacks that would raise a few eyebrows.

He went to a museum on technology and at the gift shop he bought a can that said "space bread" on it, and another packet for curry that would be eaten in space.

We tried those out and the space bread was more like a brioche bun than bread, but funnily enough it went well with the Japanese curry that just looked like a thick dark brown sauce.

Another of his favourite purchases was trying interesting Cup Noodle flavours. One we tried this week had uni, or sea urchin in it.

I wasn't holding my breath, but inside were these small orange things that really looked like pumpkin, but lo and behold they were tiny uni, though not having much flavour of course!

Why you would even bother to put uni in cup noodles... except to make customers buy it at a premium...

Travel Warning to China

Yesterday Robert Schellenberg was sentenced to death in his appeal

This morning the Canadian Consulate in Beijing issued a warning to Canadians in China, saying it had revised its Travel Advice and Advisory for the country.

It says: "Exercise a high degree of caution in China due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws", without mentioning by name the recent case of Robert Schellenberg, 36, who was sentenced to death for trafficking methamphetamine from China to Australia.

Foreign media in China say the Chinese government took great lengths to allow foreign reporters to cover the verdict, meaning it was keen on giving the impression that it follows rule of law. Meanwhile, Chinese state media earlier insinuated his case is directly linked with Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, warning Canada would suffer severe consequences if she was not released her back to China.

Meng Wanzhou is under house arrest in Vancouver

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Communist Party-run Global Times uploaded a video in which he warned that, "if Canada extradites Meng to the United States, China's revenge will be far worse than detaining a Canadian."

Hours after the Canadian travel advisory was issued, China put out a travel warning to its citizens about going to Canada.

A notice by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Chinese citizens should be aware of the risks of being "arbitrarily detained at the request of a third nation" in Canada, and urged caution when making travel plans."

Tensions are certainly escalating between China and Canada. Both have sufficient cause to want to resolve the situation, though China definitely ratcheted things up several notches yesterday when it sentenced Schellenberg to death.

And it is still detaining two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor.

On top of that China is now warning its citizens about traveling to Canada...

Which side should be more worried?

Early Morning Start in Rome

The Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna and Trinita dei Monti all in one picture

This morning I arrived at just after 7am in Rome and going through passport control was very fast, but then took a while to get our luggage.

Traffic was already heavy over an hour later coming into town. It had rained earlier, but despite the heavy clouds, the sun was determined to push its way through to create blue skies.

Inside the basilica that was so ornate

My hotel room wasn't ready yet so I took my colleague's suggestion of walking to the Spanish Steps and from there wander the streets that have many fashionable boutiques.

With the help of Google Maps I got there in over 20 minutes and there were already a few tourists at the top of the stairs where the Trinita dei Monti church stands over the Piazza di Spagna below. The staircase is said to have been designed by architect Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo Bernini helped him.

At the bottom of the stairs is Via Condotti, where all the top fashion brands are located, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabbana, and Max Mara, along with non-Italian names like Tiffany & Co, Harry Winston, and Swarovski.

They all opened at 10am on the dot but hardly had any visitors; looking through the glass windows I could see Chinese staff in some of the boutiques to cater to the mainland customers. This morning there was one tour group but they didn't have time to shop there.

Nearby was the Basilica dei SS Ambrogio E Carlo that was built from 1612-1684. The door handle to go inside says "humility". Inside the church is very ornate, the ceilings covered in frescoes with a heavenly theme. Small naves to worship particular saints were on the sides. It was a beautiful quiet place for contemplation, even though shops like H&M were next door.

The "twin" churches at Piazza del Popolo

I wandered along Via del Babuino and there were more fashionable shops there, until I reached the end at Piazza del Popolo  or the "people's square". In the middle is an obelisk of Sety I. I haven't visited much of Rome, but have already seen a number of obelisks erected... the Romans really amassed a collection of them...

There are "twin" churches standing side by side, with Via del Corso separating them -- Santa Maria Montesanto on the left, and Santa Maria dei Miracoli on the right.

After a lunch of pizza, I tried to go find the Trevi Fountain, but instead found the Pantheon. It was a former Roman temple and is now a church. The dome is most impressive -- it is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
so when it rains, the water does fall down into the middle of the marbled floor -- but there are 22 holes in the ground that help drain the rainwater away. You can't help but keep looking at the dome that's so beautiful and the clouds are passing by. There are signs around the room asking visitors to be quiet as it is a church, but it was quite noisy...
I finally managed to find the Trevi Fountain and after it was carefully cleaned and restored by fashion company Fendi in 2015, the statues are very white! Most of the coins in the fountain are cleaned out. The area was crawling with tourists and the restaurants and cafes nearby were happy to cater to them.

One gelato shop had a guy who spoke a few words in Mandarin, "you want this?" pointing to a cup and then a cone. Every little bit helps.

A cleaned up Trevi Fountain with blue skies

I was concerned about gypsies in touristy areas, but each place had a squad of police there in army fatigues and their cars as a deterrent.

By this time it was 3.30pm and I wandered back to the hotel to finally check-in to my room for a long-awaited shower and nap...