Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hongkong

Where can I find a good secondhand record store in Hong Kong?

The Card Cheat — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:17:22 -0800

Can anyone suggest any good secondhand record (i.e. vinyl) stores in Hong Kong? I'm in HK until this Saturday and I'd like to check out a record store or two, but I'm having trouble finding anything aside from HMV and other chains. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Can you recommend a good computer repair place in Hong Kong?

lmm — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:57:18 -0800

Recommended computer repair service in Hong Kong? My aunt's relatively new Vista desktop has, for the past couple of months, been consistently shutting itself down after at most 10-15 minutes of use and we've exhausted the usefulness of remote assistance. What is needed now is physical troubleshooting.

If you have any recommendations for computer repair service (on-site or depot), I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Bringing legally prescribed controlled substances through customs in Asia?

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:01:33 -0800

Advice on bringing a small quantity of legally prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) and other prescriptions for personal use into Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, and the Philippines? I'm traveling to a number of Asian countries in the next three weeks, and I would like to bring my prescriptions with me. The drugs are 30x20mg Ritalin (methylphenidate), 6x200mg Provigil (modafinil), and 30x10mg Ambien (zolpidem). These are legally prescribed by a U.S. doctor, and I will carry the pills in the original, labeled bottle and will have an official-looking letter from the doctor.

But Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, according to their customs Web sites, either ban these drugs outright or require preapproval through a bureaucratic process. I wasn't able to find info on the other countries, but it's those three places that I'm most concerned about anyway (Japan and Singapore especially).

In those countries, since they require preapproval, if I indicate on my customs forms that I have controlled substances, then I'll almost certainly have them confiscated and could face other penalties (right?). If I play stupid and just state I have no items to declare, I'd most likely get through OK. But if they pull me aside and search my bags, then I'd be in big trouble, right? I will have entered and exited different countries ~13 times by the end of this trip, so at least on that I'd look suspicious.

So: what actually happens if Japan/Singapore/Hong Kong customs finds undeclared, un-preapproved but legally prescribed controlled substances in your bags? Is it something I can plead ignorance on and just get a warning, or are there serious consequences? I'm not sure if these laws are actually enforced in the case of small quantities and legal personal use. Should I just not bring the drugs?

Sleepless in Hong Kong

saysthis — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:45:18 -0800

I have $500, a backpack, and 3 days in Hong Kong, starting Monday, with nothing to do but wait for a visa (which means I ain't leavin'). Aside from standing around the Tsim Sha Tsui 7-11 eating Doritos and browsing the suitcopywatch collections and trolling Wanchai in the vain hopes of meeting someone who isn't a prostitute or looking for one, where are some fun, up-all-night places to go that involve cheap alcohol and good company for a 20-something?

Hong Kong tea suggestions, please

Napoleonic Terrier — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:31:15 -0800

I'm in Hong Kong for two more days and would like to bring back tasty tea (of any variety, especially green) that is difficult or impossible to find back in the States. Please give me your tea suggestions, bearing in mind the only Cantonese word I recognize is on an "Exit" sign, but I can find the usual tourist areas on the subway. Thanks!

Help me find a good travel agency in Austin, TX for booking flights to Hong Kong!

llamabucket — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:14:41 -0800

Help me find a good travel agency in Austin, TX for booking flights to Hong Kong! I'm looking to book a flight from Austin to Hong Kong for after the New Year (around Jan. 5) and need a good, reputable travel agency that offers low prices.

My parents used to use a small travel agency here in town where most of their agents speak Mandarin, but unfortunately, I don't speak a lick of Mandarin, only Cantonese, and my parents are out of the country. So, I'm looking for a larger, more reputable travel agency here in Austin that offers good deals for individuals.

I've looked online and have found prices on Kayak and other places, but I'm just curious what prices a travel agency can offer me... hopefully lower than what I have found so far online.

Bonus to any travel agencies that have agents that can speak Cantonese, but it's not a necessity. I understand that most agencies that can speak Cantonese are probably smaller agencies that aren't too customer-friendly or reputable.

If it matters, this is my itinerary:

Departure (around Jan. 5, flexible date though)
Austin to LAX or SFO
LAX/SFO to HKG

Return (around Jan. 15, flexible departure date as well)
Beijing, China to LAX/SFO
LAX/SFO to Austin

Thanks in advance!

Need a low-cost alternative airline for flying to Hong Kong!

meta87 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:29:00 -0800

For a friend: Looking for people's advice and experiences flying Air China or Delta to Hong Kong from Los Angeles. Also looking for other low-cost alternatives to Cathay Pacific. I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and moved to the states when I was
just a child. My family and I would travel back every couple of years to visit friends and family and we would always fly Cathay Pacific Airlines from LA to Hong Kong. Last year, we were forced to fly United and the service and plane was horrible. So horrible, that I vowed never to fly United again.

I'm planning my trip back to Hong Kong for this winter and have been looking at airfare for the past couple of weeks. To my surprise, and I don't know why, but Cathay Pacific's airfare is incredibly expensive this winter. $1,300 for a one-way economy ticket from LA to Hong Kong! So, I'm in the market to try flying with another airline.

I did a few searches on Kayak and it seems like Air China ($600 economy one-way ticket) and Delta Airlines ($730) have the cheapest ticket prices for now. How reputable are these airlines? I've read a couple of reviews on Air China and it seems like their airplanes are old and outdated. What other airlines would you suggest flying that are a somewhat low-cost alternative to Cathay Pacific?

Thanks a lot!

Please point to some great bands similar to the Cantonese group "Beyond".

metaBugs — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:54:41 -0800

My girlfriend grew up in Hong Kong, living there until 13 years ago. She's a fan of the hugely popular "canto-pop" group Beyond, especially their later, more "alternative" stuff. What other bands might she like and recognise from her childhood in HK? A birthday is coming up and, as part of her gift, I'd like to find some music by bands with a similar sound to Beyond (awful midi files here, if it helps refresh your memory). Ideally it'd be stuff that is or was popular in Hong Kong, so probably sung in Cantonese. That said, if you have suggestions that come from a totally different culture but are sufficiently rockin' it'd be great to hear about those too!

I think I know her music tastes well enough to judge which albums to buy, I just have no clue what band names I should be searching for or where to hear them. Can you help?

I'm also looking for an internet or real-world shop that will let me easily buy CDs of cantonese rock/pop music and get it to me in London, UK.

Thanks!

Style at home in Hong Kong?

phoenixc — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:45:33 -0800

I'll be arriving in HK tomorrow for a few days and will be in Shenzhen for one. Any recommendations on places to shop for home decor?

Looking for info about the "hong kong underground railroad".

Tlogmer — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:16:35 -0800

Does anyone know more about the "underground railroad" that whisked some student leaders to safety after the Tienanmen Square massacre in 1989? I'm reading a book about china and came across this paragraph in the Tienanmen chapter:

"Two days later, the government issued a most-wanted arrest list of twenty-one student leaders. Several were already on their way out of the country, smuggled out via an "underground railroad" funded by Hong Kong movie stars, and aided by the muscle -- and speedboats -- of organized crime."

Holy shit, that sounds awesome. I'd love to read more about it.

What do my cufflinks say?

NotMyselfRightNow — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:57:36 -0800

What do my cufflinks say? I believe it's Chinese. A friend got them for me in Hong Kong, wrote down what they meant, and then lost the slip of paper.

Bank accounts, currency exchange, and financial advice for an American in Hong Kong?

milquetoast — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:05:52 -0800

Moving to Hong Kong for two years, and seeking advice on keeping the finances in order. I've been hired by a company in Hong Kong and will be there for a minimum of two years. I will be paid exclusively in Hong Kong Dollars. However, I have some small recurring bills and such that will need to be paid in USD.

This seems like a pretty typical temporary-expat situation, and I wonder how other people have approached it. In essence, I'm looking for advice on and experience with HK banks and credit cards, and transferring money from HKD to USD at regular intervals without getting screwed on the exchange. Any and all experience with expat finances in HK is appreciated.

Status: US citizen of the Brooklyn type, no debt except rapidly diminishing student loans, one US brick-and-mortar bank checking account, one ING Electric Orange checking account, couple of investment accounts through Vanguard, couple of US credit cards that rook me for 3% when I use them abroad.

Cell phone for Japan/HK?

j1950 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:14:00 -0800

I need a cell phone for travel in Japan and Hong Kong. Any advice on where I can get one as inexpensively as possible? I am traveling to Japan and Hong Kong for two weeks in late March/early April. Because of some ongoing family issues in the US, I need a number where I can be reached as well as the ability to call freely back to the US. I don't expect to make a huge number of calls...I just want the option.

Anyone have any advice on where I can get a phone that will be reliable but relatively inexpensive for these two countries? I realize that this probably won't be cheap, but anyway I can save would be nice.

In the mood for a hotel

MrMerlot — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:25:46 -0800

Does anyone know the name of the hotel in Wong-Kar Wai's magnificent In the Mood for Love? The one with the room number 2046 where Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung) falls in love with Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung). I have read somewhere that it was shot on location.

Hong kong for cheap

markesh — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:01:03 -0800

What's the cheapest way to stay in Hong Kong? Assuming one is willing to brave all discomforts (within reason of course, no sleeping under the bridge), what is a cheap cheap way to stay for 10 days in Hong Kong, including accomodation and food? By cheap, I mean by chinese reference -> $20 a night is expensive. Is it possible to stay for $10 a night in Hong Kong? This is easily done on the mainland.

Be creative - would it be feasable to sleep in Shenzen at night and travel Hong Kong at day?

New York to China Data Transfer Problem

extrabox — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:01:16 -0800

I have to transfer digital files that are 4 to 8 gigabytes from New York City to a location in Hong Kong and a location in Xiamen, China. As I will have to do this repeatedly over the next several days, and time is of the essence, I can't just UPS or FedEx DVDs, I need an internet way to do this. In New York, where I upload, the speeds are pretty slow to upload (700K), and on our existing computers in Hong Kong and Xiamen the download speeds are way slower than the upload speeds here in New York.

What's the best way to do this? I am open to any solution that I can arrange quickly whether it is buying software that is effective at pushing and pulling data that can be used on both ends, or even taking DVDs to some place in New York where they can get quickly uploaded and locating a place in Xiamen and HK that can quickly download.

Celebrate NYE where in Hong Kong?

Gilgad — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:04:27 -0800

Where would you recommend my wife and I celebrate New Years Eve in Hong Kong? This is the Gregorian calender's New Years Eve, not Chinese New Years (but any excuse to party right?). Good food and relatively laid back atmosphere is a must. I like good music but I also enjoy conversation. Formal would be okay, but semi-formal or casual would be better. Preferably with a good view.

Maybe I should have actually planned my vacation.

echo0720 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:36:20 -0800

I'm off to Asia (Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong) and have done little to no prep work regarding places I want to check out. What are your suggestions for "can't miss" attractions/shopping/anything that I should check out while there? I'm off to Asia and have done little to no prep work for the tourism bit of my visit (other than buying a Shanghai book that I don't really like). What do you consider the "can't miss" attractions/shopping/anything that I should check out during my weekends in Hong Kong and Beijing and 10 days in Shanghai? I'm your typical tourist, some of the things I'd like to see/do: shopping, people-watching, quirky things, architecture, art...

I did find the older questions about these three places, but there wasn't much Shanghai info outside of where to stay. I'd like your input on things to do, places to see, places to eat, shopping, etc... and I'm totally open to day trips from Shanghai. I won't have much time in HK and Beijing, so tips on major tourist destinations and hidden gems would be very welcome! As would off the beaten path type places for Shanghai, I'll be there for a while.

Thank you!

And if you happen to have suggestions to where I should exchange money in DC before I leave, that would be helpful, too.

What's it like to be an expat in Hong Kong?

bluebird — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:46:35 -0800

Tell two academics from northern Europe about living and working in Hong Kong on a long-term basis. My boyfriend found an ad for a university job that seems to fit him to a tee (he's in a pretty specialized field so that's unusual--and attractive--for him). However he's unsure whether to apply because it's in Hong Kong. He's European and has lived all over Northern Europe; I'm American and have lived in Northern Europe for the last 11 years. We're open to moving to a lot of different places to get work but Hong Kong seems really far away both geographically and culturally.

I'd like to hear about people's experiences living and working there as expats, for an extended period of time (at least several years). As an American expat in Northern Europe, the culture shock for me hasn't been too severe. What obstacles might we face as residents of Hong Kong? What might we really enjoy? What is the university culture like?

Does this tailor really exist?

lekvar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:09:12 -0800

I've heard rumors that there's a talented Chinese bespoke tailor that comes to SF and books a meeting room where he takes orders and measurements. He then flies back to China (or possibly it was Hong Kong) and assembles the suits. A month or two later, when the suit is completed, he ships it to the customer. Supposedly this man makes a superior quality product for a reasonable price. Its a persistent rumor I've seen on a number of sites, but for all my searching I haven't been able to find any concrete information. Can you help me track this man down?

Tailored shirts from Hong Kong

ZenMasterThis — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:55:53 -0800

Tailored shirts from Hong Kong. Recommendations? Prices? Shipping charges? Speed of delivery? Experiences good / bad? I have a new position at a new company which requires me to dress a little better. Standard off-the-rack dress shirts don't fit me very well; "fitted" off-the-rack ones fit better. I'm considering trying custom-tailored shirts from HK, but I don't really know where to start. Looking for specific experiences and recommendations. Thanks!

Cheap travel from Hong Kong to Nanjing

msbrauer — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 08:15:21 -0800

What's the cheapest way to get from Hong Kong to Nanjing, China? My girlfriend and I need to travel from Hong Kong to Nanjing next week and would like to do it cheaply. Trains seem like the ticket. What's the best way to do this and is it realistic to buy train tickets a day or two before the travel? The only prices I can find online seem awfully high (US$165 for a soft sleeper from Hong Kong to Shanghai), though maybe those have an agency fee on top of the ticket price.

Trains seem great, but I can't find prices online. Seems like the best way to do this is train to Shenzen, train to Shanghai, train to Nanjing. She speaks Mandarin and I've dealt with train stations in various places in India, so standing in line and fighting for the window shouldn't be too bad. Is there another, better, cheaper way? I've seen reference online that a soft sleeper from Beijing to Shanghai is 499RMB, so can we expect a similar price from the Hong Kong area to Shanghai or Nanjing? Is it realistic to expect that we can buy tickets a day or two before the train trip?

Going private in Hong Kong

electriccynic — Wed, 30 May 2007 05:59:39 -0800

In short: how does my father, trapped in a hospital bed, get a private doctor and a second opinion? My dad's been in hospital with severe paralysing backache for the last two weeks. Now the doctors tell him he's got a cyst or two near his kidneys - their solution is to give him four weeks of physical treatment, and if that doesn't work then a "dangerous" operation that could paralyse him if it goes wrong.

Naturally, we'd love to get a second opinion, preferably from a private doctor who can tell us (in the UK) what on earth is wrong with him. (Aside from a mid-life crisis, total belief that he's going to die soon from psychics etc.).

So how do we get a "private" second opinion with a reliable doctor? He's a HK resident, so medical insurance doesn't necessarily apply in this case.

Also bear in mind that the parents are traditional Chinese, so they're loathe to rock the boat, question doctors' diagnoses etc.

Thanks for your help!

Find my Amazon in Hong kong!

electriccynic — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:55:01 -0800

In summary: please recommend an online shop based in Hong Kong! My mother is in Hong Kong and has offered to bring back some electronic goodies for me.

Unfortunately I don't want to subject her to the famed hard-nosed salesman tactics of electronic boutiques, so I'd rather buy online and have it sent to her in Hong Kong.

So can you please recommend a reputable online shop that sells electronic goods in English, and can send the goods to her to bring home for me?

Many thanks!

Where can my 15 yr old son hang in Singapore and Hong Kong?

srlbraintree — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:52:34 -0800

Where can a 15-yr old boy hang out in Singapore and Hong Kong? Dragging my fifteen-year-old son on a business trip to Asia. He's missing a week of school, but gets to spend 3 days in Singapore followed by 5 in Hong Kong.

He'll be on his own, mostly, during the day.

Seeking suggestions for things he can find & see that are fairly age-appropriate and age-interesting, and also any areas or things he needs to avoid. He's of Irish, not Asian, heritage, for whatever that's worth, stand-out-in-the-crowd-wise.

We'll be staying at the Swissotel the Stamford in Singapore and the JW Marriott in HK.

His blog.

Could also use some parenting validation. This is the right thing to do? Pulling a not-great student out of school to spend a week in Asia?