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Tips & Tricks
Dear Diary
Taxis
On The Main
I Heard...
Humour Me
It's a Fact
Home
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Tips and tricks are mostly useless - their success is totally dependent on lunar positioning and your ability to pick-up a salted peanut with plastic chopsticks. It's like dieting books - all 2 million authors claim their tips are the best. Here are some mostly useless tips for you. Perhaps you'll find them handy.
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Pet Tip: |
Yahoo! It's holiday time! But what about your little furry-friend? No, not your spouse - your cat or dog! Quarantine laws prevent you from taking your pet in and out of Hong Kong, so the dog will have to forego Grandma's cookies, but I know a place that your little critter will love to stay while you're away. Try Deedi's Doggies in Happy Valley. (telephone: 2575 6781) Ask for Henry.
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Info: |
It's sad but true - our beloved pets die. If your pet dies while you're living in Hong Kong, you'll find that the problem of laying it to rest is a grief you hadn't anticipated. The government does not offer cremation services for animals and it's against the law to bury an animal without permission. There are solutions to this dilemna. The Hong Kong Pets Hospice Care Services (telephone: 2755 6000) will pick up your pet's body, cremate it and return its ashes to you in an urn. Cost: HKDollars 800-1580. The Hong Kong Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (telephone: 2802 0501) will also collect and dispose of the body. Cost: HKDollars 150-200, depending on the animal's size.
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Safety Tip: |
Look right, then left before crossing the street. And don't step out in front of a taxi - they'll flippin' well run you over - by law, they're not allowed to stop unless you're standing in a designated taxi stand.
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Rotten Tip: |
Your sofa will rot right down to its wooden frame and its springs will rust if you don't run a dehumidifier regularly. Be prepared; this noisy little water-sucking gizmo sucks money also. Electricity in Hong Kong isn't cheap. Neither are new sofas.
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News Tip: |
Forget about that little bicycle terrorist back home who used to throw your tightly rolled newspaper on to the roof every morning at 4AM. Instead, have your favourite daily newspaper delivered by an authorised distributor and request front door delivery before 6AM. There are several distributors in Hong Kong listed in the yellow pages. I use B&Y Company in Causeway Bay (tele: 2576 2959) and they have delivered to my front door mat without fail prior to 6AM. The South China Morning Post is also available online at www.scmp.com as is The Hong Kong Standard at online.hkstandard.com/
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Used Tip: |
Save yourself a heap of cash by frequently checking the community bulletin board in your tower block. Departing ex-pats are always trying to flog their used goodies before being sent back home. Cars, stereos, computers, curtains and dehumidifiers are just a few of the items you can buy at considerable savings. Prices are usually negotiable. If they aren't negotiable, thank them for the tea and look elsewhere.
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Book Tip: |
For seriously useful information and guidance, pick-up a copy of Fiona Campbell's book Setting Up in Hong Kong. It's saved my bacon on several occasions.
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Fax Tip: |
Buy a fax machine. Then write up your grocery list, fax it to your nearest grocery store and they'll deliver your order to your front door. Most stores offer delivery service, but ring first to be sure that they do and if they accept COD or prefer credit card purchase.
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Freebie Tip: |
Ring-up the Hong Kong DollarSaver and subscribe to their monthly circular. It's filled with both personal and professional ads for nearly every service your imagination can concoct. The Hong Kong DollarSaver's telephone number is 2528 0825. Their fax number is 2865 5160.
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Revised 18 May 2000 - All rights reserved. Content copyright
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