Looking for News from Hong Kong?

Turns out that DISH network can help you.  "Dish Cantonese" runs Hong Kong's local new in Cantonese.

It also appears that they have other major programming.  Be careful though.  This is Cantonese not Mandarin.  If you're thinking about getting a gift for you sweety, be sure she speaks Cantonese.  It's the language of Southern China.  Details, details, details.

Another good source for news in Hong Kong comes from "The Standard" an online newspaper covering all things Hong Kong.  The Standard is a lot more useful for me since it comes in English.  It's always interesting to me how different the world news looks when reported from the other side of the world.

Good luck and enjoy the news!

Speaking of Love

I found an interesting website this morning.  Jocelyn Eikenburg's Speaking of China.

Eikenburg, an Ohio native, lives and writes from China on the subject of love and romance China style.  Her husband is a Chinese national and she gives a lot of insight into the world of romance among the Chinese.  I think it would be worthwhile for anyone considering marrying a Chinese person to Stop by for a read through.

Author Jocelyn Eikenberg

She talks frankly about topics ranging from, how and why Chinese people choose to date to the only really frank discussion about sex as it relates to Chinese men and women that I've found online.

It certainly would have helped me be more ready for the challenges and benefits of life with my Chinese wife.

http://www.speakingofchina.com

Things To Consider Before Marrying a Chinese Woman

Minxi and my marriage is doing well.  She's got a job, we're built a great social network, and we're making plans for our future.

Married Bliss

By all accounts, we've had a pretty easy time of it.  We had two big blowouts within the first few weeks but, in both cases, it turned out that the problem was mostly the language barrier.   There's a quote,  "I know you think you know what you thought I said, but what you thing you heard is not what I think I thought I said."   Yeah, say that in Mandarin at 3:00 in the morning while angry to someone with severe jet lag.

While we're doing well I think a lot about the fact that something between eight and nine out of ten marriages between Chinese women and American men end in divorce and I wonder what advice I would give someone considering marrying a Chinese woman.   Rather than advice, I thought I would give some examples of just how different the two cultures are.  It can be difficult to merge 30,000 years of divergent history.  

None of these examples is meant in any way to suggest that one culture or life style is better, only to act as a cautionary tale about the challenges you and your wife will face if you marry.  The first two are real deal breakers that can really derail a marriage, the others are just...notes on how different life can be.

1.  In China, saying please and thank you are considered polite as they are here.  This is, however something that you do for strangers.  The phrasefor "your welcome," "bu ku chi" means something like "no need to be formal."  So, in China, saying please and thank you to family members is a bit formal and odd.  It is sort of like saying, "you are in my house but I'm still going to treat you like a stranger."  It can be perceived as rude. One of the issues that all of the Chinese/American couples I've met have faced is the day that he thought she was being rude because she was giving strings of orders without so much as a please or thank you and she thought he was being rude because he was insisting on treating her like a guest rather than his wife. 

2.  Americans grew up hearing the "Thumper" lesson.  When Thumper looks at Bambi and laughs he gets scolded and reminded, "If  you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."  The lesson in China is very different.  I don't know if it is generally true in Chinese culture, but for a Chinese woman, an important way of showing that you care for your husband is to help him be the best he can be.  This literally means helping his pick out "more fashionable" clothes, suggesting better ways to organize the socks, helping with with idas on how to keep the car more clean etc. etc.  If you argue with your wife and insist on being left alone, you are, in effect, refusing her affection.  Although they look exactly alike, there is a key difference between nagging and showing your support.  Minxi and I got some very good advice on this topic from our friends Winnie and Dave and it saved us mounds of trouble.  Minxi was so eager to show her affection for me that I found myself thinking, "this woman thinks I can't do anything right."  No, she's just expressing her caring, Chinese style.

3.  Minxi thinks chicken bones are edible.  There's nothing wrong with this but it was very strange the first time when, after the meal, she started happily crunching bones and chatting away.  

4.  Refrigeration is generally available in China these days but its fairly new for a lot of folks.  Minxi is comfortable leaving a wide array of food dishes out over night and then eating them in the morning.

5.  Straight white vinegar is sterile and very good for your skin if used properly.  Having  your bathroom smell like salad dressing can take some getting used to.

 6.  Modern Chinese word for love is "ai."  It is still uncommon for some Chinese people to use it or its English Translation.  Minxi's friend Susan said that her parents never said they loved her and she never said she loved them.  They did love each other but it was generally only shown not spoken.  Your Chinese wife may find it odd that you want to say "I love you" all the time and may not say it much herself.  If you need to hear it to feel comforted, you may find her very frustrating.

7.  American toilets seem as weird to Minxi as Chinese toilets do to me.  Enough said.

So what's my advice?  I don't know.  Marrying a Chinese woman is hard work.  The stats don't lie.  On the other hand, I would definitely marry Minxi again.  She's the right one for me.

My friend Dave put it like this:  "If I had known how hard it was going to be, I don't think I ever would have tried it, but I'm glad I did."

Starting the Year on The Hong Kong MTR

Its the year of the snake in china and the Hong Kong Subway has not missed out on the similarities between the MTR and snakes.  The MTR homepage is full of images of snakes and is offering "Year of the Snake" souvenirs.  Not only is it always a good deal to ride the subway across Hong Kong, it is now a novelty extravaganza as well.

Looking for information on the MTR in English?  Have no fear!  The MTR Homepage comes complete with a full English translation.  Find the MTR homepage in English here.

Click for MTR Homepage in English

New Year's Fireworks in Hong Kong

Hey all.  Stumbled across this cool video of the 2012 New Year's Fireworks in Hong Kong.  This video was shot from the North Shore of the Harbor, Maybe behind on the walk behind the Art Museum.

Man does Hong Kong know how to throw a party!

The most awesome part about events on Victoria Harbor is that they are visible from pretty much anywhere in the city.  All the way from the New Territories to the Upper Levels, there's great views of the Harbor.  This makes Hong Kong a first class city to kick back, wherever you are, and enjoy the show.

Subways Sandwiches in Hong Kong?

That's right folks, in addition to the MTR, there's another kind of Subway in Hong Kong, Subway Sandwiches.

Get Subway Sandwiches in Hong Kong.

Currently there are two Subways in Hong Kong, (showing above) one in Millennium Plaza, the other on Caine Road, Mid-Levels.  The advertise that they use a "cuisine courier," phone 25960000 for delivery or that you can carry out.  I prefer to eat local when I'm in Hong Kong but, if you just gotta getta Subway your way, you can find them in Hong Kong.

Would We Recommend Marrying a Chinese Woman?

Now that we're been all the way from "Meet Sexy Chinese Women for Dating and Marriage," through the trip to China, the blushing bride and all the paperwork, and on to married life, would we recommend marrying a Chinese woman?

Should You Marry a Chinese Bride?

For me the answer is "No no no no no no no no maybe."  We know several American Chinese marriages that have worked and we are currently watching a couple of them fail.  The ones that work seem to be men who were already well established and had an interest in Chinese culture and women who were fairly well educated before they left home.

The ones that we have watched fail or are now failing seem to be either with men who are not mature or with couples where the woman is far younger or prettier than you could ever imagine.

Minxi seems to be more romantic about the process.  She continues to assert that there is a Mr. Right out there for everyone.  If that someone is in another county, okay.  Having said that, she is very concerned about a friend of hers who married an American man about the same time that she came here.  The husband is showing some signs that he may be violent and is not helping the wife, who is a doctor, get established n the US.  He seems almost threatened by her now that she is here.

I guess what we would say is this.  You can't marry a princess or a house maid that you get have sex with.   People are people and have the same basic needs no matter what country they come from.  Marrying a Chinese woman is very difficult.  There are tons of paperwork, classes, doctor's visits, and life style changes.  You get all the difficulties you would get moving in with your girlfriend plus thousands of years of cultural differences, then tons more paperwork.

For Minxi and I, this was clearly the right choice.   I set out to scour the world for the one woman that I would marry and I found her.  If you are looking for a sex toy, total hottie, submissive princess or anything other than a real person with bad breath, bad hair days, and a robust sense of self protection, you're just fooling yourself and maybe putting her whole future at risk.  Just be careful.

Don't Eat on the Hong Kong Subway (MTR)!

Don't eat on the Hong Kong Subway!  This may seem like kind of a pointless tip but it's not.  The rules for riding the MTR clearly state that there is no eating on the subway.  The reason  you need to know and be careful of this rule is that it has become a flash point between Hong Kongers and visitors from mainland China.

Back in April of 2012 an argument broke out on an MTR train between a family from mainland China and pretty much everyone else on the car.  One of the children from the mainland family spilled some noodles on the floor of the MTR.  One of the Hong Kongers was so upset that he pulled the emergency brake.  Since the Hong Kongers and the mainlanders spoke different dialects, no one could figure out what the shouting was about until the whole thing had been video taped and shown on the local news.

There is a rising tension between Hong Kong locals, who often don't consider themselves very Chinese, and mainland Chinese who contribute billions of yen to the local economy but are sometimes seen as uncouth.  There is also a long standing issue with Mainland women coming into Hong Kong for prenatal care.

All of this has now boiled over on the odd topic of food on the subway.  If you are caught eating on the subway, the reaction may be far stronger, and more pointless, than you can possibly imagine.  Do yourself a favor, finish the noodles as the noodle shop before you head home.  They're better fresh anyway.

The  Hong Kong Subway Map (MTR)

What Does the End of NDIA Mean for The Hong Kong Airport (HKIA)

From January to December of 2012, the Honk Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport (HKG) has been offering the New Destination Incentive Arrangerment (NDIA,) rebates on landing fees associated with new routes into and out of Hong Kong.  The rebate is 75% off of landing fees for the first six months the route is in operation and 50% of landing fees for the next six months.  Regular fees would apply after that.



Hong Kong Airport



The purpose of the project was to help push HKG further into the global market.  With access to Asia, India, and the America's the airport authority is keenly aware of Hong Kong's role in Global travel.  With the addition of a third runway, Hong Kong stands to become the single largest, and best positioned airport in Asia.

While the Airport authority has not released public information on the success of the program as of yet, the end of the program should not result in any changes visisble to the passenger.  Good luck flying into Hong Kong and have fun.  HKIA is simply the best Airport we have ever visited.

For more information on HKIA, visit our webpage here:  Hong Kong Airport Information.





Pink Dolphin Photos

I was cruising the internet this morning and found a nice flickr page with photos of pink dolphins.  Most of these appear to be Amazon River Dolphins but there are some photos from Singapore and one photo that looks very much like a Dolphin breaching in the Pearl River Estuary.   Eye candy for dolphin nuts.

I wish I was the lady feeding the dolphins!


Just click the photo below.  I've clevely disguised the link there.  Enjoy.



Or click here.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/yahooeditorspicks/galleries/72157623723337997/

Funny Stuff: Small 'Tiger's Epic Fail

So what's life like two month's after your Chinese Wife arrives.  For Minxi and me it involves hanging out with my daughter trolling the cat.

Small Tiger, our cat, in order to prove that she's cooler than the laser pointer, performed the most spectacular flat land fail today for our entertainment.  Fortunately, this is the age of video so I caught the whole thing.  Here for your enjoyment, Small Tiger's Epic Fail.

Discover Hong Kong

We have used a lot of sources over the months to keep tabs on what's happening in Hong Kong.

By far the one we use and enjoy the most is Discover Hong Kong.  It's a truly world wide webpage with pages in more languages than we can count.

The format is beautiful and generally easy to follow.  The one complaint is that it is not always updated as quickly as it might be and we have been led astray a couple of times by outdated info.  This is understandable given the websites size and scope.

If you're looking for the latest on Hong Kong, give, Discover Hong Kong a try!

The Po Lin Monastery

A great day trip in Hong Kong is the Po Lin Monastery, most known for the Giant Buddha statue high above.

Tian Tan Buddha at Po Lin

Po Lin can be reached by either the New Lantau Bus number 23 or the Ngong Ping Cable Car both of which can be caught at the Tung Chung MTR Station just a short ride down from the Airport on Lantau Island.

Visitors are reminded that, while the 68 foot high Tian Tan Buddha attracts millions of pilgrims a year, the monastery is the home and worship place of hundreds of monks.  Please be respectful.

Life's Most Important - And Obscure - Questions: Acorns: Food or Folly

Life's Most Important - And Obscure - Questions: Acorns: Food or Folly: Question:  Can Humans Eat Acorns? Background: It's last fall in the the Northern Hemisphere and squirrels, red, brown and funny ones w...

Life's Most Important - And Obscure - Questions: Acorns: Food or Folly

Life's Most Important - And Obscure - Questions: Acorns: Food or Folly: Question:  Can Humans Eat Acorns? Background: It's last fall in the the Northern Hemisphere and squirrels, red, brown and funny ones w...

Funny Stuff: What's Interesting In Topeka

Having a Chinese lady move in with you is seriously funny.  The 'clothing challanges', the hitting of the head on the presidential display at the museum, trying to say, "I cooked chicken in the kitchen,"  it's all been pretty fun.  I found a new source of joy when she asked me to download all the photos she's taken since she arrived.  There are great photos of our wedding, the airport, etc.  There are also practical photos.  She and some other Chinese ladies online do their own version of window shopping where they mail each other photos of the price tags of things they find on sale.  Odd, but cute.  Then I also found a lot of...other photos that are maybe more about being excited to be in the US than about anything in particular.   I've chosen a few of them here with the captions that I imagine would go with the photos if she posted them online.

The rumors are true.  American dogs do pee.

My husband is so smart.  He plugged the refrigerator in before getting out from behind it. (Duh)

Sometimes American food looks suspiciously like Mexican food.

In America you can take pictures of government offices and no one cares. (Seriously, she asked.)

Cool!  A fossil, right in the marble of the Capitol.  (Actually, that is kinda cool.)

I can think of no caption for this photo.  It's a lamp post.  Ummm.  Very lampy?

So there you go.  A sneak peek into the fantastic funny world I find myself in now.  Marrying a Chinese chick is the coolest thing I've ever done.

हांगकांग सबवे और हवाई अड्डा

हांगकांग सबवे और हवाई अड्डा

हाँ, हम हांगकांग सबवे और हवाई अड्डे पर जानकारी है!

एक ब्लॉग चलाने का लाभ सभी खोजों है कि अपने ब्लॉग पर लोगों का नेतृत्व पर लग रही है. आज हम है कि असामान्य अन्य हांगकांग हवाई अड्डे के बारे में जानकारी की मांग भाषाओं में Google खोजों से आए आगंतुकों के कई देखा. हम वास्तव में दुनिया भर के लोगों के साथ काम करने में मज़ा आता है तो हम हमारी साइट का अनुवाद कई भाषाओं में शुरू कर दिया. हम बस शुरू कर रहे हैं तो plase हमारे साथ रोगी हो. सबसे पहले, यहाँ हांगकांग अंतरराष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डे के बारे में जानकारी है:

हांगकांग सबवे और हवाई अड्डा

हांगकांग हवाई अड्डे

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-international-airport-info.html


यदि आप हांगकांग के एक मेट्रो का नक्शा यहाँ की कोशिश करना चाहते हैं:

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-mtr-subway-map.html

शुक्रिया!

הונג קונג רכבת תחתית ונמל מידע

כן, יש לנו מידע על הונג קונג הרכבת התחתית ושדה התעופה!

אחד היתרונות של ריצת בלוג מסתכל על כל החיפושים שאנשים להוביל לבלוג שלנו. היום שמנו לב שרבים מהמבקרים לא השיגרתי מגיעים מהחיפושים בגוגל בשפות אחרות המחפשות מידע על הונג קונג לשדה התעופה. אנחנו באמת נהנים לעבוד עם אנשים ברחבי העולם, לכן התחלנו לתרגם את האתר שלנו בכמה שפות. אנחנו רק מתחילים כך plase להיות סבלני איתנו. ראשית, כאן הוא המידע על הונג קונג נמל התעופה הבינלאומית:

הונג קונג רכבת תחתית ונמל מידע

הונג קונג נמל התעופה

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-international-airport-info.html


אם אתה רוצה מפת רכבת תחתית של הונג קונג כדי לנסות כאן:

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-mtr-subway-map.html

תודה לך!

Hong Kong Tren yo ak Enfòmasyon Ayewopò

Wi, nou gen enfòmasyon sou chèz woulant Tren nan Hong kong lan ak Ayewopò!

Youn nan avantaj ki genyen nan kouri yon blog se kap nan tout fouy yo ki gen moun mennen nan blog nou an. Jodi a nou remake ke anpil nan vizitè yo ki etranj soti nan fouy Google nan lòt lang yo k ap chèche enfòmasyon sou Hong Kong ayewopò an. Nou vrèman jwi travay ak moun otou mond lan, pou nou te kòmanse tradui sit nou an nan plizyè lang. Nou ap jis kòmanse pou plase pran pasyans ak nou. Premyèman, isit la se enfòmasyon sou Hong Kong Ayewopò Entènasyonal la:


Hong Kong Ayewopò a

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-international-airport-info.html


Si ou vle yon kat jeyografik tren nan Hong Kong eseye isit la:

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-mtr-subway-map.html

Mèsi!

હોંગ કોંગ સબવે અને એરપોર્ટ માહિતી

હોંગ કોંગ સબવે અને એરપોર્ટ માહિતી

હા, અમે હોંગકોંગ સબવે અને એરપોર્ટ પર જાણકારી છે!

એક બ્લૉગ ચાલી એક ફાયદો એ બધી શોધ કે અમારા બ્લોગ પર લીડ લોકોને જોયા છે. આજે આપણે અસામાન્ય અન્ય હોંગકોંગ એરપોર્ટ વિશે જાણકારી મેળવવા ભાષાઓમાં Google શોધ આવે મુલાકાતીઓ કે ઘણા નોંધ્યું. અમે ખરેખર સમગ્ર વિશ્વમાં લોકો સાથે કામ આનંદ જેથી અમે ઘણા ભાષાઓમાં અમારી સાઇટ અનુવાદિત કરવાનું શરૂ કર્યું. અમે હમણાં જ શરૂ થાય છે, જેથી plase અમારી સાથે દર્દી છે. પ્રથમ, અહીં હોંગ કોંગ ઇન્ટરનેશનલ એરપોર્ટ વિશે માહિતી છે:

હોંગ કોંગ સબવે અને એરપોર્ટ માહિતી

આ હોંગ કોંગ એરપોર્ટ

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-international-airport-info.html


તમે હોંગકોંગ એક સબવે નકશો અહીં પ્રયાસ કરવા માંગો છો જો:

http://hongkonghonky.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-mtr-subway-map.html

આભાર!