Observation – Page 8 – Vinko’s Thoughts On…

July 20, 2004

How Does It Work? – Silica Gel Package

I hope “How Does it Work?” will become a regular category in my Weblog. I will start this new category of rant by asking the following question.

“How does Silica Gel package work?”

You must have seen those small gel packages placed inside food products to help prevent moisture inside the product. What I don’t understand is how they actually work? Many of these Silica Gel packs are sealed inside their own self contained package. So if they are sealed inside their own packages, how can they do its job of drawing moisture from inside the food product? I think I will have to seek the answer from a food manufacture.

Although I did find out a lot about Silica Gel and what it is. Silica Gel was invented prior to WWI and was used in Allied gas masks. During WWII it was used extensively to keep penicillin dry. It is the highest capacity adsorbent available today; something that is not normally associate with “gel”. Also not to be confused with “silicon gel”, silica or silicon dioxide (SiO2) gel is a porous, granular form of silica, synthetically manufactured from sodium silicate.

Silica gel can adsorb about 40 percent of its weight in moisture and can take the relative humidity in a closed container down to about 40 percent. Once saturated, you can drive the moisture off and reuse silica gel by heating it above 300 degrees F (150 C).

Silica Gel is mostly harmless that’s why it is used with food products.

May 4, 2004

Joke: The Nightmare

The following is an account of a boy’s dream:

I was dreaming last night and I dreamed that a crow came and told me that my aunt will die, so I run to my parents the next morning and told them. They tell me that it was just a nightmare and that I should not worry about it.

The next morning when I woke up my mom received a call from my uncle and told her that my aunt Mary died last night.

It was horrible for me to foresee this news.

The next night I dreamed of the crow again. This time it told me that my father will die. I was so scared, but I eventually had enough nerves to tell my father the next morning. My father told me not to worry about it and that it was just a nightmare.

Even though, my father tried to calm me down, I can tell he was a bit troubled by my story.

My father left the house early that day and did not return until late that evening.

He looked tired when he did. My father told my mother that he had the worst day ever.

My mother told him, “you think you had a bad day… the milk man die on the porch this morning”.

April 30, 2004

Update: Bad Habits Hard to Break

Last Saturday I wrote about the intersection of Kowloon Park Drive and Peking Road. Today I received an email from the Station Sergeant explaining that they had increased checks of the intersection since the opening of the subway at the crossing, and they had “issued verbal warnings and sometimes citations when it is appropriate”. He also tells me that the Transport Department will be errecting a new divider for Kowloon Park Drive to improve the situation.

I question whether the TD will be able to come up with a design that is more affective than that is already there.

So I had asked the Station Sergeant to ask TD to post the proposal of the new divider at the intersection for citizen’s comment before they begin construction. I don’t know whether they will do as I had requested, and I do not call myself an expert in transportation or road construction, but I really hate to see the government spend money wastefully; it is of course at the end our money that they are spending.

April 14, 2004

Selfish behavior

Today I witnessed the result of the ever so common selfish behavior of Hong Kong people. As you can see from the photo below:These vehicles in the picture was stuck in the round-about for half an hour, and they did not want to let other vehicles get in front of them. Unknowingly to these drivers, their behaviors resulted in a perpetual traffic jam, which I had a bird’s eye view of. This traffic jam did not free itself until the police showed up. Mind you, the police simply stopped their motorcycles at the side of the road without having to direct any traffic.Did the mere presence of authority reminded drivers of the appropriate courteous behavior toward other drivers?

April 14, 2004

Selfish behavior

April 10, 2004

Bad Habits Hard to Break

In the past I had talked about habits of Hong Kong people rushing all the time. This is unlike the hurrying that Tokyonite do. In general, people in Tokyo are polite to each other even when they are in a hurry. Where as in Hong Kong people are not as courteous.

Hongkies have this urge to saviour every seconds in their life, even if those few seconds may actually safe their own lives. Case in point is the intersection of “Peking Road” and “Kowloon Park Drive” in Tsim Sa Tsui in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

As you can see from the pictures below:

I simply stood there for just 3 minutes, there was over 30 people of all ages and nationalities who ignored the numerous posted warning signs and crossed Kowloon Park Drive illegally.

It is not that the Hong Kong government did not try to resolve this problem as you can see from the signs posted.

These signs are in 3 different languages including “symbols”, Chinese and English, so no one should be able to complain that they do not understand the signs.

People just do not want to waste the few minutes it takes to use the subway. While taking these pictures I saw large buses, taxis, tourist buses and fast moving mini-buses slam on their brakes to avoid the pedestrians crossing Kowloon Park Drive while the lights are green for the on coming traffic.

It is like wearing seat belts in cars, governments of all countries enforce seat belt laws just for the sake of the car occupants’ own safety, but many people still do not comply. In this case the signs and barriers are to protect the safety of pedestrians but people continue to endanger themselves. Only for the sake of saving a few minutes of their lives, but never considering that their lives are the thing they should be saving.

May be the government should invest more money on enforcing the regulations rather than the passive approach of putting up more and more signs, which really do not make the area look too good.

March 27, 2004

Question What’s Advertised

One cannot always believe what is advertised!While sitting at a Starbucks in Causeway Bay; which I often do. I notice the truck in this photo. Would you think twice about hiring this moving company, “Reliance…”?Take a look at the cartoon egg on the side of the truck. Do you see what I see?I guess in this case the word “Reliance” may not apply.

March 27, 2004

Question What’s Advertised

March 25, 2004

Slow Politicians

Is this a trait of a successful politician? Or should should the question be – are these successful politicians?

I understand that one should think clearly before one speak especially during a speech.

Although, the behaviour of some of the politicians now a day are really baffling to me.

Tung

One is “Tung Chee Hwa” of Hong Kong, SAR. His speeches can put any insomnia sufferer to sleep in seconds. Not only are his speeches in mono tone, he also speaks very slowly, pulsing every 2 to 3 words. I do not know the full medical health of Mr. Tung, but may be the pluses are the result of his health and double chins. It may be causing him to take frequent deep breaths between words.

Chen

The other politician who has this trait is “Chen Shui Bian” of Taiwan. Although, Mr. Chen does not have the physic of Mr. Tung, so may be it is because Mr. Chen does not have enough staff to write his speeches. But you do see Mr. Chen holding a stack of paper with him during his speeches.

So your guess is as good as mind.

March 5, 2004

Solution to Real Estate Agents Swarming

I described in a previous post (“Real Estate Agent Game”) the strange practices of real estate agents in Hong Kong, where they would hover around estate development showrooms asking every passerby whether they’re interested in buying a property. I believe I have the perfect solution to this annoying practice.

The developer just has to set up an area, out of the way of the general public and visitors to the showroom, where by all agents at the showroom will register at the beginning of each of their work day. By registering, each agent will be assigned a number.

Visitors to the showroom who are interested in seeing a property will choose from a box containing the numbers of the registered agents that day. Whichever number the visitor chooses, it will represent the agent who will assist the visitor in his/her purchase. No agents will be allowed to approach the visitor directly anywhere near the showroom property.