The most Googled word in Hong Kong in the first half of 2011 was "Facebook". In a list released by Google last Friday of the most searched phrases in the city, "Facebook" reigned supreme over other hot but transient topics such as the Royal Wedding and the movie "3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy."
The first local brand on the list of search terms was “TVB” and it only came in at sixth place after “Yahoo," “Google," “YouTube” and “Apple.”
Last week, everyone was talking about that photo of a woman who applied a beauty face mask on the MTR. Commuting daily on public transport, we have seen far worse.
Below are 10 of the most annoying things we have to endure on a daily basis in Hong Kong.
Clip... Clip... Clip...
Nail clipping on public transport tops this list not just for the annoying clipping sound, but the ensuing fear that looms within us when we hear it.
When we hear the sound, we may instinctively try to locate the origin of the irritating clipping sound, and before we can react, a nail clipping, possibly enveloped in germs, could be flying straight toward your face.
I've seen several mentions of these Blue Books as sources, and finally had a chance to look at them earlier this month. They're another good resource if you're looking for information about people who lived in Hong Kong.
I'll talk about that some more, look at where to find them, and end with some more general information about the books.
Research past residents of Hong Kong
Each year's Blue Book includes two lists of all the civil servants in Hong Kong. This covers everyone whose salary was paid by the government, from the Governor to the newest clerk, and regardless of nationality.
They make a great partner to the Jurors Lists, since civil servants were not included on the Jurors Lists.
The first list in the Blue Book shows everyone ordered alphabetically by surname, and is the quickest way to check if a person is included. In the 1885 Blue Book, the list has three columns:
The last column links you to their entry in the second list. That second list shows people grouped by government department. The 1885 the list shows the following departments:
And for each person it gives these columns of information:
Where can you view the Blue Books?
These are the copies I know of that are available to the public:
Do you know of any other copies available to the public? Or even better, any copies that can be viewed online? Please let us know in the comments below.
How did they get the 'Blue' name?
The books' covers are a deep blue colour, and some years' books have blue-coloured pages too.
But whether the colour followed the name, or the name followed the colour, I'm not sure.
What were they for?
They provided the government in Britain with a financial summary of the colonies. Each colony would send one back to London every year. They were accompanied by the Annual Reports, which fleshed out the figures in the Blue Books.
What else can they tell us?
Here are the sections in the 1885 Blue Book. I've added notes in italics:
As always, questions, corrections, and extra information are welcome - please leave a comment below.
I'm specially interested to hear from you if you've used the Blue Books in your research. What did you find them useful for?
Regards, David
For those wanting to rent a short-term apartment in Hong Kong, maybe you can first acclimatize yourself with the living condition and housing price here.
This video, a project by a Hong Kong student, has gone viral. It is a parody of how Hong Kong’s real estate companies go to extreme lengths to promote their flats (including the surroundings and the construction materials used) in order to fetch an exorbitant price.
Towards the end, the video shows what the cubical flat is really like without decoration. It is such a true representation. We all know the tricks of the property companies – showing you a very nice show room before the building has been completed, to lure you to buy in advance, and then you find that the flat you have bought is so different from what has been shown in the show room.
Btw, the small cubical flat in the video, just big enough to put down a small mattress, was rented by the student for 3 days for filming the project. The rent is US$13 per day, and US$400 per month.
The property in the project is called King’s Cube, whose name is similar to a new luxury property in the real world – the Queen’s Cube complex in Wanchai. When the flats in Queen’s Cube were open for sale late last year, the price was HK$10M (US$1.3M) for a flat of 580 sq.ft (53 sq. m), which is floor size only. The actual size is a mere 65% of it. The rent? HK$26,00 – 28,000 a month. It is furnished with balcony, but only one bedroom, and hardly any view.
I still don’t understand why a government organization, Urban Renewal Authority, tasked for the city’s re-development has worked with a private developer to develop a property that sells for such a crazy price. Isn’t it wrong and not justified?? This is what the city’s redevelopment is like?? Luxury properties for the rich??
The Melbourne International Comedy Roadshow will be rolling into Hong Kong for the first time to celebrate 13 years of tummy-ticklers and side-splitters with six shows at the Hong Kong Fringe Club.
When your country is home to the ten most venomous snakes in the world, spiders as big as your hands, and Christmas during the summer, you kinda have to have a sense of humor about things (haha).
Five of the funniest from Down Under will be hopping over to our city on the first leg of their tour. Representing the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, you can expect raucous laughs, the occasional naughty word and material that may otherwise offend. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
About two hours by road northwest of Hong Kong, Chimelong Travel Resort in Guangzhou is one of the most popular weekend getaways for Hong Kongers seeking an affordable trip that will keep the whole family entertained.
It's also a place that invokes a less positive reaction from animal-welfare organizations such as Animals Asia, as well as other out-of-towners.
The 130-hectare travel and entertainment development is Guangzhou's premiere tourist attraction, receiving a five "A" rating from the national tourism authority.
Topping Dymock’s bestselling rack for three weeks now is "Ladies Who Launch in Hong Kong" by Maseena Ziegler.
The stories of 12 different female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong is outselling George Martin’s "Game of Thrones" and Paul Arden’s "It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be."
If you visit Sai Kung, consider these activities:
1.Dining
Sai Kung is renowned for seafood. But you can also find here plenty of non-seafood restaurants, some very nice. Try this Sri Lankan restaurant AJ’s Sri Lankan Cuisine. Exotic food, friendly service and reasonable price. The curry salmon is my favourite.
After food, you can take in some nice view strolling along the promenade.
fishermen selling fish from boats
3. Sharp Island
There is boat service going to Sharp Island from the pier of Sai Kung. Sharp Island is part of Hong Kong’s Geopark, about 2,000 meters from the pier of Sai Kung. Boat ride is about 15 minutes, a round trip ticket about HK$30. There are at least three service providers selling tickets at the pier of Sai Kung. They all claim that boats depart from the pier of Sai Kung and Sharp Island every 30 minutes. You can choose your time of departure.
one of the booths selling boat tickets
For information about Sharp Island, check out here.
