Hi,
I’m a member here. My main activity so far is rollerblading; have given some basic lessons to a few ladies from here.
Recently, I have a friend who is soon leaving Bangkok to work in HK. He needs a local or even someone familiar with the work environment to meet with when he arrives there. He’s working for an Indian MNC, with offices in Sg , HK, China.
Would appreciate anyone who would like to provide this assistance,
thanks,
Hannah
Hi Hannah,
I am a new member responding not to your HK enquiry (my friends who wre there are all back in Signapore) but that you rollerblade!!! When and where do you normally rollerblade (inline skate)? I usually go to ECP on Saturday evenings.
If you do regularly perhaps we can meet up?
Kathryn
Hi Hannah,
I don’t think you know me although I have been a member for quite a long while. I was more active with SHC in 2006/2007 before returning to hk in mid 2007. HK was like my first home for the last 18 years. I should be able to help your friend on a personal basis. Please ask him to drop me an email at LKYIVY@hotmail.com. I need to understand his needs first.
Ivy
Hannah, Ivy @ #2
I just back from China , HK and Macao. It has left a indelible mark and profound influence on me. I have been there variously over the years on holidays. But it is the first time after the handover that I am looking at it seriously from a business point of view.
Singapore has a superior public housing program. But for the “Buzz” in the street, it doesn’t come up to half as much HK. Haphazard as it is, the economy is booming boosted up by a burgeoning population factor (HK 7 mio; Kowloon 2.5 mio). It is immpossible to pull ahead with the old 6 mio figure even if we cart them in by containers at gunpoint.
On the weekdays, the streets and MTR are full of people until late evening, say, 9pm. A good example is SOGO. Same formula that didn’t quite work here in Msia and Spore, is highly successful in HK. It was packed with customers.
Some other interesting snippets.
– If you are into name brands (HK is not just about three legged horse logos), you need to check out Citygate Outlets shopping center in Tung Chung (on the Tung Chung MTR train line). There are 3 floors of outlet shops – mainly sports wear and other clothing. Every important brand is there with original discounted prices that you don’t have to mortgage to wear. On a normal day, you see many Sporean’s there including those Sporean friends that you may not have seen for the past 30 years here. Saw Mr. George Quek of Breadtalk and his management team inside the factory outlets which feature a large Food Republic. Now you know where the action, pork floss buns and smart money is going. Forget what they say. See what they do.
– There is multi-point entry and a direct train to China. The China, HK/Kowloon and Macao trio is lethal in terms of competition between nations for what HK’s promo logo says “The World City” of choice. Spore’s close IR card for now, seems little more than a belated bluff.
– I was under the impression before the trip that China’s control would thwart HK’s fame entrepreneurship and freedom to do whatever it takes. On Thu 29 May 7pm (I give the date/place so that you know it is not a generalisation but actual event) I was surprised to witness an apparent opposition political rally right outside SOGO near Times Square which was jammed packed with people. I didn’t notice any uniformed personnel or lawyers taking notes. People were screaming slogans and obviously having a good time. There was a local TV station filming the event. It’s all happening there in the streets.
I hope to open up the Scorebot franchise in the territories there and would like meet your friend. If anyone is interested in the opportunity, the person should be strong in both, written and spoken, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Hi KT,
Looks like hk has left a good impression on you at least from the business angle. Your observation is quite right but I would like to spiced it up with my personal views:
– You probably did not noticed the weekday crowd in Causeway Bay (SOGO) was mostly tourists from the mainland. They have more spending power these days, more so now with the appreciated Rmb. Did you get the chance to visit SOGO on a weekend? The crowd is almost double.
– I must admit I didn’t have faith in the Breadtalk concept when it was first set up. But, my view changed when they diversified into the foodcourt biz in overseas. They had picked the right locations.
– The transportation system in hk is another plus point – very efficiently run. Did you make a comparison of the train arrival frequency with sg mrt?
– That political rally you saw was no big deal…it is a common sight along the streets. Don’t be alarm to see huge crowd of protestors (permitted) on some sundays.
– Pollution is still an unsolved issue in hk. The problem is getting from bad to worse.
However, if you are looking for retirement, sg or perhaps its neighbourhood is still a better choice.
If you or other SHCians want to know more about hk, please feel free to write to my email.
PS I’m no good at hotel rates…but can advise you on hotel location.
Cheers
Ivy
Ivy # 4
Your comments in quotes.
“Did you get the chance to visit SOGO on a weekend? The crowd is almost double.”
No. I was nearly suffocated as it is. The wave of humanity was incredible. At the cash counter you would think it is free. You are right. The China’s noveau riche will buy anything that sounds foreign branding. I am renaming to “L’Scorebot” and trying to pick up a French accent speaking English. I went down to SOGO in Tsim Sha Tsui instead to pick up some really good Esprit buys.
“- I must admit I didn’t have faith in the Breadtalk concept when it was first set up. But, my view changed when they diversified into the foodcourt biz in overseas. They had picked the right locations.”
IMO, antyhing with a strong customer service component will sell very well in the market. Concept of service is primitive and almost rude in China territories in general. Partly, it is that they are still very uncomfortable with foreigners (even China vs HK and vice versa). I had the occassion to translate for a Japanese woman in a cafe because nobody could understand what she was saying in English.
” The transportation system in hk is another plus point – very efficiently run. Did you make a comparison of the train arrival frequency with sg mrt?”
This I differ depending on your definition of efficiency. Yes, there are many stations, very frequent services and access points all over.
But it is extremely overcrowded most of the time. Between 5pm to 7pm, moving on the MTR (they call their MRT, MTR) one has literally to push into the crowd packing them like sardines. Someone say that DOM (dirty old men) must have a field of time groping everything in sight. Not so. It is so crowded that you can’t even lift a finger.
“I’m no good at hotel rates…but can advise you on hotel location”
I have some great recommendations. Another tip. Don’t have to live in the central. Their big rooms are like our bomb sheltars.
Better deals on the outskirt. Just make sure that you are on the MTR. Be smart and live in well served locality in a peak traffic countercyclic area. Like living in the West in S’pore.
The Citygate area is one such locality. Talk to Quek about setting up laksa steamboat or halal roti prata in Food Republic outlets. There is a very strong Muslim community build-up from my last visits.