Living in a very noisy city
[2008-01-08 07:14]Befitting the status of a mega metropolis, Shanghai is a very noisy city.
Slogans can be deceiving
[2008-01-02 07:45]Before the demolition of a row of old tenement buildings in my neighborhood began, the construction company put up a big banner in bright red with the characters wen ming shi gong, or work in a civilized way, in glaring white. It was a most reassuring sign because I had to walk past the site twice everyday to and from work.
Traveling light benefits everyone
[2007-12-29 07:14]On a flight from Beijing to Shanghai, I helped a petite fellow passenger to lift her carry-on bag onto the overhead compartment. It was the heaviest thing I have lifted since I pumped iron in my first and only bodybuilding session many years ago at a neighborhood gym.
Making a fashion statement
[2007-12-25 07:42]Here is a little fashion tip, and it can help you save some money too.
HK set to open its doors wider
[2007-12-18 07:36]The Hong Kong government is set to overhaul its immigration policy with the aim of making it easier for mainland and overseas talent to live and work in the city.
Market blow to HK's green policy
[2007-12-11 07:28]The back tracking by one of Hong Kong's two major supermarket chains on its initiative to charge customers for plastic bags has dealt a serious blow to voluntary efforts by the private sector to improve the environment.
Displeasure over new regulations
[2007-12-04 07:00]Hong Kong business people are a fastidious lot. Spoilt by one of the world's freest economic environments, which is underscored by the rule of law and an efficient government bureaucracy, our business people have grown most suspicious of any new regulations, including those that seek to preserve the very essence of an orderly marketplace thriving on fairness and transparency.
It's not all gloom for the market
[2007-11-27 07:15]Stock markets abhor uncertainties, and the outlook for 2008 is anything but cloudy.
Prepare for leaner returns
[2007-11-20 07:25]As the market is going into a correction phase, investors are beginning to question the upside potential in coming months.
Blot on Hong Kong companies
[2007-11-16 07:14]Hong Kong can pass a minimum wage law when corporate conscience has failed. But what can we do to promote corporate social responsibility, or CSR, in this commercial town where profit is king?
Minimum wage, right HK move
[2007-11-13 07:03]Hong Kong people are well known for their generosity in giving to charities. But when it comes to paying workers with the least bargaining power, they appear most tight fisted.
The fairest fare is not negotiable
[2007-11-06 07:22]One evening many years ago, I was one of a dozen or so people waiting patiently in line for a taxi on a busy one-way lane in Hong Kong's business district. As a vacant taxi turned the corner and headed toward us, an impeccably dressed young man dashed out of an office building waving an eye-catching red HK$100 bill. He hopped into the taxi after it slammed on the brakes for him.
