Daily Life in Hong Kong by Jeremiah ES 9

Monday, November 23, 2015

Find medical care

Healthcare standards in Hong Kong are on par with the West, and finding a reputable medical professional is not much of a problem should you get sick. Medical professionals come in two flavours: those that practice traditional Chinese medicine and the Western variety. Both are taken equally seriously in Hong Kong, but as a visitor the assumption will be to direct you to a Western professional. Professionals that practice Western medicine almost always speak English fluently, but you may find the receptionist to be more of a challenge.

Seeing a professional is as easy as walking off the street and making an appointment with the receptionist. Generally you will be seen within an hour or less, but take note of the opening times displayed in the window of the office. A straightforward consultation for a minor ailment might cost around $150 to $500, but your bill will be inclusive of medicine. In Hong Kong, it is normal for a professional to sell you medicine. Most surgeries and hospitals will accept credit cards. Expect to pay more if you visit a swanky surgery in Central. Check the directory maintained by the Hong Kong Medical Association for information on doctors. Finding general practitioners, medical specialists, and dentists are available on forums and the web. A well-regarded physical therapy (physiotherapy) specialist is SOS Physiotherapy at 6/F Shum Tower, 268 De Voeux Road, Sheung Wan (MTR Exit B), Central (+852 2543 3218).

Tap Water

Tap water in Hong Kong has been proven to be drinkable, although most of the local people still prefer to boil and chill their drinking water when it is taken from the tap. The official advice from the Water Board is that the water is perfectly safe to drink unless you are living in an old building with outdated plumbing and poorly maintained water tanks. Bottled water is strongly recommended by locals but remember that Hong Kong's landfill sites are filling up fast and plastic bottles are a major environmental problem, so use recycling bins where provided.

Pollution

Despite Hong Kong's name meaning "fragrant harbour", this is not always so. Air pollution is a big problem due to a high population density and industrial pollution from mainland China. During periods of very bad air pollution tourists will find visibility drastically reduced, especially from Victoria Peak. Persons with serious respiratory problems should seek medical advice before travelling to the territory and ensure that they bring ample supplies of any relevant medication.

Pollution is a contentious topic in Hong Kong and is the number one issue among environmental campaigners. Much of the pollution originates from factories in mainland China and from Hong Kong motorists. Levels of pollution can vary according to the season. The winter monsoon can bring polluted air from the mainland, whilst the summer monsoon can bring cleaner air off the South China Sea.

Medical Life in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has significant cultural differences from mainland China due to its evasion of communist ideologies during the colonial age. After it was handed back to China in 1997, the city has kept their independent and reputable legal system, effective anti-corruption measures, free press that cover a sensitive topic such as Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. They speak a different language (Cantonese vs. Mandarin) and write with different Chinese characters (traditional vs. simplified). You will quickly annoy locals if you suggest that Hong Kongers are subjected to propaganda in the same way as people who live in Mainland China.

In general, during a conversation, it is best to avoid subjects of politics. If you are asked your opinion, best to be neutral about it. However, there is no need to worry of getting into trouble solely by discussing politics. In Hong Kong, freedom of speech and the press are protected in law. Hong Kong people are free to criticize their government.

Many foreigners are not certain whether to address Hong Kong people "Chinese", or if it would cause offense. The Sino-Hong Kong relationship, as always, is a contentious topic. Hong Kong people seldom deny their Chinese roots and they do share pride in being Chinese; at the same time they seek to distinguish themselves, both culturally and politically, from the mainland (such as speaking Cantonese and writing traditional Chinese). In general it is fine to address Hong Kong people "Chinese" on a cultural level.

Furthermore, opinions are very divided among whether Hong Kong should have a close relationship with China or not. Politics is split between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps. Some Hong Kong people think every Chinese person should "love their country" (a requirement for all candidates of the head of government). However, some people interpret this as supporting the current communist party. Some people think closer economic ties with China will benefit Hong Kong. Some people think Hong Kong has always been self-sufficient since colonial days. The arguments go on...

Hong Kong Culture and Politics

Street markets are a phenomenon in Hong Kong, usually selling regular groceries, clothes, bags or some cheap electronic knockoffs.

Ladies Market- don't be fooled by the name. It is for both sexes for finding cheap clothes, toys, knockoff and fake labels. Located in Mong Kok and accessible by MTR or bus.
Temple Street - Sold items are the same as in the Ladies Market, but there are more street food vendors, a handful of fortune tellers and a few Chinese opera singers. Illustrated in hundreds of cantonese films, this street is seen as a must by most tourists.
Flower Market - Prince Edward. Follow your nose to the sweet scents of a hundred different varieties of flowers.
Goldfish Market- A whole street full of shops selling small fish in plastic bags and accessories Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok.
Bird Market- MTR Station Prince Edward, exit "Mong Kok Police Station". Walk down Prince Edward Road West until you reach Yuen Po Street "Bird Garden".
Apliu Street- MTR Station Shum Shui Po, this is the place where you can find cheap computer goods, peripherals and accessories. However, this is the worst place to buy a mobile phone, as they tend to be even more dodgy than small stores in Mongkok.
Stanley Market- A place for tourists rather than locals, shops sell everything from luxury luggage items to cheap brand name clothes. Accessible with the number 40 minibus from Causeway Bay. Also, no.6 and 6A bus from Central, and no. 973 bus from Tsim Sha Tsui.
Textiles - Sham Shui Po MTR exit. Several square blocks around Nam Cheong St. (between Cheung Sha Wan Rd. and Lai Chi Kok Rd.) hold dozens and dozens of wholesalers to the textile trade. Although they are looking for big factory contracts, most shops are friendly and will sell you "sample-size" quantities of cloth, leather, haberdashery, tools, machinery and anything else you can think of to feed your creative impulses. Ki Lung Street has an outdoor street market selling smaller quantities of factory surplus cloth and supplies at astoundingly low prices. Haggling is not necessary.

Be prepared to haggle hard at the markets, as haggling is an art form (or

Learn and practice some Cantonese numbers (especially mmmh-saap ($50), yat-baak ($100) - get these right and you can respond straightaway with a counter offer in Cantonese). Sure, the stallholder will probably know the English word for your number, or have a calculator upon which to quote price and haggle, but using Cantonese numbers shows you mean business, and aren't going to be ripped off easily. If most stallholders understand your pronunciation and one acts like they can't understand, they're attempting to remove your competitive advantage.

Determine what you would be prepared to pay for the item, in your home currency and then calculate the equivalent Hong Kong Dollar amount. Then take 20-40% off that price as your final price. For instance, if that pair of Fake Oakley sunglasses are worth $20 to you in your home currency, you should be able to get them for $10-$15 in your home currency. Work out the HKD equivalent of that, and then halve that as your starting haggle price, allowing the stall holder to work down (or you up) until you're below or up to your maximum or until the stall holder gives in.

Low ball your offer. You might offend someone if you're too low, but don't let this put you off. Someone else will have the same item in a few stalls down the road. Learn when you've given the "insult" offer, and go a little higher at the next stall.

Quote a low price from "the stall down there". Often times these will be owned by the same group of people, but they're often too afraid to check with the other stall, for fear of saving face. Any phone calls checking with their "boss", "sister" or "colleague" are fake. It means that they are satisfied with your price (or you're very close), but don't want to let you know.

Don't be fooled by the emotional tactics and the "oh, you're killing me" act. They won't sell at a loss, period. If they're trying this, you're still in the game, so stand firm - it's an act. Occasionally you can put it back on them (eg. I have four girls to pay for, I can't afford to pay too much).

If they carry on about quality being the reason they charge more than the stall down the road, don't believe it - most stalls will have identical items at identical quality from the same factory. The odd poor quality item should be fairly easy to distinguish (and obviously the stallholder won't talk up its quality). For instance, if you see a Michael Koors fake purse and it looks rubbish quality, leave it until the next stall has a better one. You know the 'lowest quality' item now, and work from there. If you're buying a gift for someone you don't particularly like, you can really screw down the price on the low quality item by stating "look at this" and showing, for example, the wonky name badge or poor stitching.

If you feel you're near a price, but the negotiation is dragging for the sake of HKD10 - say thank you ("Mmmmh Goi") and walk away. You're there, but they want a few extra dollars from you. They will chase you down and let you have it for your final offer (or meet you in the middle between your prices).

If you're a couple - play good cop, bad cop. One will be happy to talk to the stallholder, whilst the other plays bad cop (start off by looking disinterested). Good cop turns to bad cop, and they 'talk' about price. Bad cop says "I'm not prepared to pay that much", with negative body language, and good cop makes it appear to the stallholder that "permission" hasn't been granted.

DO NOT flash around $500 notes, or wads of cash. Put a few $100 notes in the accessible section of your wallet, and hide the rest. If you run out of accessible money, walk a street over (away from the markets), into 7-Eleven or a retail shop, transfer a little extra money and go back into the markets. If you get $500 notes from the ATM, go to 7-Eleven and buy a drink (beer is a good option, no issues with wandering around drinking it either) to break the note down. If the stallholders think you're made of money, they'll be far harder to bargain with (and a call seems to go out in Cantonese to that effect that "Westerners with money are coming").

With that in mind, avoid any tour groups of Western (almost always American) tourists. They seem to either annoy the stallholder (by touching the merchandise unnecessarily and then complaining loudly about the quality, or prices not being listed) or they are the type that the stallholder will absolutely fleece. They will annoy you by clogging up large parts of an already crowded market. If the shop keepers think you're one of the group, negotiation will be very hard. Take a breather, go to the shop for a drink or start at another section of the market.

Street Market in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is expensive by Asian standards especially the cost of accommodation. A traveller on a bare bones budget can probably survive with $150 for a day if you are willing to stay in some of the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong which could be as cheap as $60 per bed but the quality is not what everyone can tolerate. Backpackers with a less tight budget should expect to spend at least $150 for a bed and $500 for a room. Family travellers should expect to pay at least $1000 for accommodation per night. Sites such as wimdu and airbnb do offer a considerable range of 'local' accommodation, though standards vary. It is a good way to stay in areas where people actually live and see the day to day goings on of life. Be aware though that these are not hotel style accommodation and reflect the tiny spaces that Hong Kongers live in (including short, narrow beds). The cheapest food available will cost you around $25-35 for a meal (or $2.50+ per piece for Dim Sum), although in mid-range restaurants, $150-200 per head is common. Another option if you don't feel like dealing with people or the language barrier (and aren't that fussy) are the microwave meals at 7-Eleven and Circle K. Usually these cost around $10-$15, and are of an adequate nature, especially given how cheap they are. Microwaves are onsite at 7-Eleven to allow you to reheat. Usually 7-Eleven and Circle K will have basic sushi, sandwiches and instant cup noodles, which make for a very cheap feed.