Category: hong kong

What I am referring to is the style of written English in Hong Kong; Hong Kong English aka. “Hongkish”.

I had wrote about this subject back in May of this year. The article stirred up quite a few controversy among people I know and the general public Netizens who read my Blog.

I say “the written English…”, because this and the majority of the previous article are based on signs displayed in public.

Today I saw the following sign on a Star Ferry:

“Do not smoke and put your feet on the bench”

So is Star Ferry Company saying that people who don’t put their feet on the benches can smoke on the boat?

What I think Star Ferry Company wanted to say is:

“Please do not smoke or put your feet on the benches”

Another trait I noticed about Hongkish, is that it is usually the impolite version of the phrase. This is very puzzling to me, especially when the (Traditional) Chinese version is the polite form of the phrase rather than a command like the English version (Hongkish version).

Another sign I also saw within the Star Ferry was:

Please mind a moving gangplank when disembarking and embarking”

I think they meant to say:

Please mind the moving gangplank when disembarking.

When the sign is displayed well inside the boat there is no reason to mention embarking.

I believe there should be an organization formed by the government or the Tourist Association of Hong Kong to correct all these public displayed signs, before they embarrass Hong Kong any further.

Many chains in the Service industry will have a particular customer service style for them to differentiate themselves among its competitors.

Maintaining this customer service style [level] is one of the most difficult thing to accomplish. Much of the success in delivering the customer service level a particular chain desire have to do with the nature of the staff and their training.

Large franchises like: McDonald’s and Starbucks have international standards of conduct, which their disseminate to their satellite locations and franchisees. Although, in the case of McDonald’s the execution of the customer service level is up to the management teams of the particular franchise. The latter is one of the deficiencies of McDonald’s (McD’s) compared to Starbucks.

At least in Hong Kong, McD’s enthusiasm that existed in many of its young, teenage staff are lost when the Fall school season began. These enthusiastic staff are then replaced by the middle age laddies, who among other things do not speak English. The lack of English skill is a problem especially when many of the McD’s are visited by local tourist while they need an escape from the local culinary delights.

Most importantly, these middle age staff behave as if they are working at a local Chinese fast food restaurant or a “Cha Tsan Tang” (aka. local eatery). The traits of these local restaurants are lack of smiles when serving, impoliteness and treating customers in a lower stature than themselves.

I strongly believe that to deliver a good customer service experience, one [the server] must conduct oneself just a level or more below the customer one is serving. When you examine the world’s top customer service (CS) companies you will find numerous examples of this trait throughout their CS policies and other operational procedures.

Recently, my entries in my weblog had stirred up some controversy among my readers. Some of which are friends and others are just frequent visitors to my site.

I believe that I had finally achieved what I had been trying to do for the past 3 years while writing this weblog, and that is to invoke discussions and comments about thoughts I have.

I truly believe that constructive discussions can lead to great things for all parties concern.

Given that I am very busy in recent days, with operating my online store and other ventures, I have less and less time to speak to others (friends or acquaintances) about various topics I may have on my mind. So my weblog is the only channel I have to express these thoughts publicly (per se).

I hope that my readers (particularly those that do not know me in person) do not get offended by my words. I do realize that my recent entries in my weblog had some strong words and opinions, my purpose was to invoke comments to them and not to get any particular group upset.

Freedom of speech is a great thing, we in Hong Kong and most places in the world are lucky to have it. We need to exercise it more otherwise some people may think we take it for granted. So all comments and feedbacks are welcome; except those that are consider spam or offensive to others.

Many of you may already know there is a term called “Singlish” or “Singaporean English” (English spoken by Singapore people). Have you heard of “Hongkish”? Well you shouldn’t since this is a term created by me. I do not want this term to be popular or well known. Please allow me to explain why.

Unfortunately, there appear to be a form or style of English that is only understood by people who live in Hong Kong and in most cases who speaks Cantonese. I am coining the term “Hongkish” to refer to this style of the English language.

Hongkish is definitely not proper English and it should not be promoted or encouraged for its use, especially for the younger generations of Hongkees (a popular term to refer to Hong Kong people).

An example of Hongkish is:

Use dipped lights

Can you guess where I see this phrase? Or what this phrase mean? The proper phrase should be “Please use low beam”.

Another example would be:

Live life to the full

What does this mean? The phrase that I know is:

Live life to the fullest

I had never heard of “Live life to the full”. This was created by an international brand as dialog in one of its TVC.

Some times I wonder if this is the difference between North American culture (what I am used to) and British culture (what much of Hong Kong is influenced by). So I validated my suspicions by asking others about these phrases and they agree that they also do not know what these phrases mean. Of course I checked with Hongkees who grew up in Hong Kong, British and Australian people who grew up in the respective regions.

Aside from creating phrases that are difficult to understand, some times due to the direct translation from Cantonese these Hongkish phrases often have a rule connotation.

For example, a sign I saw in the street car reads “Do not with driver speak while the tram motion during” in Chinese, which in Chinese is quite polite and is in a form of a strong suggestion to ridders. The English version of this sign reads “Do not speak to driver when tram is running”. One would agree that the English version of the sign is not the best, but since it is a poor, direct translation of the Chinese sign, hence the result. If I were to create the English version of this sign it would read:

Please do not speak to the driver while the tram is in motion

For some reason the appearance of Hongkish was not relevant; at least to me, until after 1997, when the control of Hong Kong is returned back to China. I am sure this conclusion must be a mistake. Since I cannot imagine that proper English spoken and written by Hongkees can turn bad over night.

For the sake of the future of Hongkees I hope that the government would make an effort to correct these public signage as soon as possible. Especially when they already have a campaign to encourage more Hongkees to learn proper English.

Today I experienced a situation that demonstrated the amount of patience people in Hong Kong has.

This being a Sunday morning (10:00) and the 2nd day of a long weekend, I was at a HSBC “Day & Night Center” to deposit some money.

I will explain for those who do not know what a HSBC “Day & Night Center” is. It is simply a proprietary term made-up by HSBC to describe the banking centers where everything are automated. One can withdraw cash, deposit cash, deposit cheques, update a bank book and pay bills via ATMs. For this particular “Day & Night Center” I was at, had 7 ATMs for withdrawing cash and paying bills, 2 ATMs for bank book updates, 3 ATMs for cash deposits and 2 ATMs for cheque deposits, which makes it one of the larger “Day & Night Centers” for HSBC.

Given that it was early morning and in the middle of the week, when I arrived there were already armored guards there refilling the ATMs.

Oh… before I forget this “Day & Night Center” is located near the bar / Red Light district of Hong Kong with a US battle ship in town. So you can imagine that these ATM most likely are all out of cash and needed to be refilled.

Normally the procedure for the armored guards is to close the center temporary while they refill the ATMs, which makes a lot of sense. The last thing they need is to have people in there while the ATMs’ safes are opened. Mind you they also have 2 guards with shot gun standing on guard at each entrance, with signs on the doors informing the public that the center is temporary closed, and they also have a wooden bar on the door to temporary prevent it from opening. Mean while they have 4 other guards rapidly servicing the ATMs, and they also have 1 guard going back and forth to the armor truck, parked right outside, with another armed guard escorting him to the truck.

So I patiently waited outside for the center to reopens, since I had time and I really wanted to deposit the money I had in my pocket, plus there is just no where else to do so other then finding another “Day & Night Center”, which there would not be one near by.

While I was standing there outside the door, numerous people walk up to the door and tried to rattle the door open. Even though there is a armed guard inside pointing to the “Temporary Closed” sign as they approach. Of course many realized their mistake, looked at their watch, mumble something to themselves and walked away. Half of these people would smile at me embarrassed for not seeing the guard, the sign and the large wooden bar preventing the door from opening. Of course 100% of these people who smiled or spoke to me were westerners. The local Chinese people would pretend they did not do anything wrong and walked away frustrated.

Of these people who came up to the door and Chinese, many of them would even go to the other entrance and tried those doors to see if they can get into the same “Day & Night Center”. Then there are these Hong Kong (locals) people who came to the door, peeked into the center trying to look around the guard, with the shot gun standing at the door pointing to the sign.

The most surprising reactions were from these people (local Hongkongees of course) who came up to the door rattled the door, then when the armed guard point to the sign, they would swear at the guard for closing the center and say things like, “… can’t believe it is closed again. It was just closed last week at the same time….” and “… how inconvenient for closing, and they call themselves a convenient center, frustrated and swearing….”.

I just don’t understand these last group of people. If they were in the center only an hour or two earlier, they would be the same people who complain that all the ATMs are closed, because they ran out of cash. So what do these people what the guards to do.

Most people in Hong Kong just don’t have enough patience and they are used to and want everything to happen quickly. The only time I see Hong Kong people having patience is when they are lining up for some “jecso”; a Cantonese term to refer to getting something for nothing.

All in all, if Hong Kong people can be more relaxed, they will have more patience for everything things and everyone will be much happier.

Today I experienced a situation that demonstrated the amount of patience people in Hong Kong has.

This being a Sunday morning (10:00) and the 2nd day of a long weekend, I was at a HSBC “Day & Night Center” to deposit some money.

I will explain for those who do not know what a HSBC “Day & Night Center” is. It is simply a proprietary term made-up by HSBC to describe the banking centers where everything are automated. One can withdraw cash, deposit cash, deposit cheques, update a bank book and pay bills via ATMs. For this particular “Day & Night Center” I was at, had 7 ATMs for withdrawing cash and paying bills, 2 ATMs for bank book updates, 3 ATMs for cash deposits and 2 ATMs for cheque deposits, which makes it one of the larger “Day & Night Centers” for HSBC.

Given that it was early morning and in the middle of the week, when I arrived there were already armored guards there refilling the ATMs.

Oh… before I forget this “Day & Night Center” is located near the bar / Red Light district of Hong Kong with a US battle ship in town. So you can imagine that these ATM most likely are all out of cash and needed to be refilled.

Normally the procedure for the armored guards is to close the center temporary while they refill the ATMs, which makes a lot of sense. The last thing they need is to have people in there while the ATMs’ safes are opened. Mind you they also have 2 guards with shot gun standing on guard at each entrance, with signs on the doors informing the public that the center is temporary closed, and they also have a wooden bar on the door to temporary prevent it from opening. Mean while they have 4 other guards rapidly servicing the ATMs, and they also have 1 guard going back and forth to the armor truck, parked right outside, with another armed guard escorting him to the truck.

So I patiently waited outside for the center to reopens, since I had time and I really wanted to deposit the money I had in my pocket, plus there is just no where else to do so other then finding another “Day & Night Center”, which there would not be one near by.

While I was standing there outside the door, numerous people walk up to the door and tried to rattle the door open. Even though there is a armed guard inside pointing to the “Temporary Closed” sign as they approach. Of course many realized their mistake, looked at their watch, mumble something to themselves and walked away. Half of these people would smile at me embarrassed for not seeing the guard, the sign and the large wooden bar preventing the door from opening. Of course 100% of these people who smiled or spoke to me were westerners. The local Chinese people would pretend they did not do anything wrong and walked away frustrated.

Of these people who came up to the door and Chinese, many of them would even go to the other entrance and tried those doors to see if they can get into the same “Day & Night Center”. Then there are these Hong Kong (locals) people who came to the door, peeked into the center trying to look around the guard, with the shot gun standing at the door pointing to the sign.

The most surprising reactions were from these people (local Hongkongees of course) who came up to the door rattled the door, then when the armed guard point to the sign, they would swear at the guard for closing the center and say things like, “… can’t believe it is closed again. It was just closed last week at the same time….” and “… how inconvenient for closing, and they call themselves a convenient center, frustrated and swearing….”.

I just don’t understand these last group of people. If they were in the center only an hour or two earlier, they would be the same people who complain that all the ATMs are closed, because they ran out of cash. So what do these people what the guards to do.

Most people in Hong Kong just don’t have enough patience and they are used to and want everything to happen quickly. The only time I see Hong Kong people having patience is when they are lining up for some “jecso”; a Cantonese term to refer to getting something for nothing.

All in all, if Hong Kong people can be more relaxed, they will have more patience for everything things and everyone will be much happier.

What started out as a peaceful demonstration down Lockhart Road in Wan Chai. Then all of a sudden at around 18:00 the protesters rushed the police line trying to push towards the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, where the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference is being held.

The Hong Kong Police was well prepared during the peaceful march. Although, they were not visible, there was hundreds of police in riot gear all prepared, just two streets over on Gloucester Road. There were also about a hundred police vehicles parked on Jaffe Road parallel to the demonstration march.

When the protesters rushed the police line on Lockhart Road, the regular police and the police in riot gear began closing off all roads leading to Lockhart Road from Gloucester Road and Jaffe Road. They were telling all stores and buildings to close down and draw their respective metal gates.

The protesters try to rush the police at Marsh Road, the police blocked them with police vehicles and policemen in riot gear. At one point the police created a double wall of officers behind the two police vehicles blocking Lockhart Road, while trapping about 10 police officers on the other side with no riot gear.

After about 15 minutes the protesters quieted down and the 10 police officers were allow out from the other side.

Every few minutes the police would relief their line of officers with reinforcements and the ones that were on would regroup, check for injuries and ensure all equipment are still with them.

While more reinforcements are prepared along Hennessy Road and Marsh Road.

The press was dangerously utilizing the police vehicle as high ground for taking photos of the protesters’ clash with the police, as the protesters were trying to rock the police vehicle over on its side.

The Police also created another police line across Marsh Road just South of Lockhart Road, because there was protesters trying to rush in from Hennessy Road into Marsh Road. The police created a stand off and strong hold at the intersection of Lockhart Road and Marsh Road.

After about an hour the stand off at the intersection of Lockhart Road and Marsh Road seem to have died off. The police then realize that the protesters had quietly moved along Hennessy Road, three blocks down towards Fleming Road, which is the main artery into the restricted area around the convention center.

What seems all of a sudden, the police in riot gear at Lockhart and Marsh got onto police vehicles parked along Jaffe Road and left.

At this time the protesters had already broken another police line and crossed over the Fleming Road bridge towards the convention center.

The police created a wall of officers in riot gear three layers deep along Harbour Road blocking the protesters’ advances from Fleming Road.

Although most of the time the protesters were peacefully chanting anti WTO slogan and message against the United States. A woman was speaking to the police through a PA, telling the Hong Kong Police that they are good and to let the protesters pass. This lady also lead the crowd in chanting “We love Hong Kong” in a similar melody as the Hong Kong Tourist Board’s TV advertisement.

The resourceful Korean farmers took apart the metal fences that lined the road and began building a metal rampage to drive into the police line, which the police reacted by firing their Pepper Spray at the crowd, causing many to be incapacitated.

After a few more hours the police released tear gas and pepper powder bombs into the protesters. Causing all the protesters, by-standers and reporters to scramble to regain their composure.

Fortunately, during my training as Auxiliary Police in Canada, I had been spray with Pepper Spray many times to be aware of the effects, so I was familiar with the stages of the affect of the pepper spray and how to handle it. But the wind was blowing in from Victoria Harbour, which means the cloud of pepper powder were following the retreating crowd towards Hennessy Road where a wall of police were waiting.

All this time hundreds and hundreds of police officers in riot gear were lined up 4 – 5 layers deep along the East bound lanes of Gloucester Road. I had never in my life seen such a show of force by police, at least not live in person.

When majority of the protesters retreated the police trapped about 900 of them on Gloucester Road surrounding them with layers of police officers in riot gear. This stand off lasted until 03:45 on Sunday morning, when the police began clearing the detainees one at a time and transporting them away in large Correction Department armored buses.

I must give compliments to the Hong Kong Police, most of them had a lot of self restraint. Particularly the regular forces. Although the auxiliary police were not too professional, many of them were shouting and mouthing off at the by-standers. The only other time I seen more self restraint were from the Canadian army during the Indian stand-off in Quebec.

I saw injuries through out the night, both from protesters and police officers, but I made a point not to show any of their faces or their injuries in my photo documentary of the night’s event.

The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Hong Kong from December 13 – 18.

Normally I am neither for or against the WTO or the concept of globalization. Some of you may know I had recently moved from Kowloon side to Hong Kong Island; specifically the Wan Chai area.

The apartment in Wan Chai is one of the older apartment building in Hong Kong with 14 stories. Majority of the tenants are elders who had lived there for over 30 years.

When I moved in on Dec. 1, I found that all apartments from the 8th floor and above have no fresh water supply and when there is the water pressure is extremely low. The tenants at the building were telling me that this had been happening for the past week. Most of them were blaming the 4 different apartments (including the one I am in), which are in the middle of major renovations, for causing the lost of water.

We had all called the Water Department to complain about the situation, but just last night the building management posted a notice informing the tenants that the Water Department had investigated the situation and found that it was the result of the Hong Kong government reserving the water for the WTO conference.

Since this building is very old, and utilize a regional water tower to provide enough pressure to the apartments from 8th floor and above. Therefore, with the water held back there was not enough pressure to provide water to the older buildings.

So the past few days there had been volunteers bringing fresh water supply to the elders in appartments that do not have water supply.

I cannot believe that the Hong Kong government would do something like this. This is something that a communist government would do.

There had always been tourist and military ships arriving in Hong Kong every day, never had the government held back water for them and over a week before they arrive.

This is ridiculous.